PARKINSON 



WONDERLAND 



F851 
.P24 



1894 




Our Party Taking it Cool at Muir Glacier. 



WONDERLAND; 

OR, 

TWELVE WEEKS 
IN AND OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF 

A TRIP ACROSS THE CONTINENT— SHORT RUN INTO MEXICO— RIDE 
TO THE YOSEMITE VALLEY— STEAMER VOYAGE TO ALASKA, 
THE LAND OF GLACIERS-VlSIT TO THE GREAT SHO- 
SHONE FALLS AND A STAGE RIDE THROUGH 
THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 

EDWARD S. PARKINSON. 



TRENTON, N. J : 

MacCrELLISH & QUIGLEY. BooK AND JOB PRINTERS 
1894 




-K. 



Copyrighted. 
All rights reserved. 



^' 



MY FI^IEKDS AND FE LiLOW-PASSE RIG EI^S 



g. F{. F{. Golden Ga^ib ©oui^ rjUMBEi^ Foui?, 



THIS B00!< IS I^BSPEGTPULLY DEDIGAIIED. 



EDWAI^D S. Sai^^inson. 



r^OW I ^AMB TO ^I^ITB A BOOK,. 



/T^VER since leaving the West, the writer has from 
^^ time to time acted as correspondent for one of 
the weekly papers of his native town, and in sev- 
eral instances has been employed on the staff of one 
of the daily papers of the city of his adoption. He 
should, therefore, be pardoned for intensified literary 
ambitions when confronted by allurements of travel 
so tempting as those presented to him on a leisurely 
trip of nineteen thousand miles through picturesque 
America. 

The somewhat protracted journey and saunterings, 
which commenced at New Jersey's capital and ex- 
tended to the Golden Gate and thence to Alaska, of 
which this book is briefly descriptive, occurred in 
the spring and summer of 1892, and occupied a pe- 
riod of three memorable months. Hence the author 
is constrained to the use of " Twelve Weeks In and 
Out of the United States " as a fitting title to a nar- 
rative whose details will possess the merit of truth- 
fulness if, unhappily, they shall fail in interest. 

In addition and incidental to the trip from ocean 
to ocean, our party crossed the line into Mexico, 
traversed the Pacific coast States from San Diego to 
Tacoma, from which point we embarked, via British 
Columbia, for Alaska. 



6 HOW I CAME TO WRITE A BOOK. 

On the return trip we visited the great Sho- 
shone Falls, Yellowstone Park (appropriately named 
"Wonderland"), and numerous other points of in- 
terest, which are herein described. 

While taking frequent notes on the steamer during 
the Alaska trip the writer was persistently solicited 
by his fellow-passengers to preserve the record, 
whether it be printed in book, newspaper or pamphlet 
form, and forward the same to them as a reminder 
of scenes and incidents witnessed but once in a life- 
time. This, therefore, is a further incentive to my 
more or less willing pen. 

The illustrations herein were made from photo- 
graphs taken by Tabor, of San Francisco ; M. M. 
Hazeltine, of Baker City, Oregon ; and from Kodak 
views taken by Miss Serrill, of Philadelphia — to 
each of whom the writer hereby expresses appreci- 
ation. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company and 
Union Pacific Railroad Company also kindly loaned 
some cuts, which add much to the completeness of 
the book. 

If the following pages shall prove of interest to 
such proportion of the large army of American 
tourists as shall read them, or be in any degree 
helpful to them in making a similar journey, the 
author's efforts will have been amply rewarded, and 
his justification for having "written a book" will 
be complete. 

Trenton, N. J., E- ^- ^• 

July, 15, 1893. 



Index. 



Chapter I. 
Westward Bound, 9 

Chapter II. 
California 46 

Chapter III. 
Yosemite Valley, 103 

Chapter IV. 
California Resorts, 140 

Chapter V. 
Alaska 164 

Chapter VI. 
Portland and Shoshone, 208 

Chapter VII. 
Wonderland, 223 

Chapter VIII. 
Homeward Bound 256 



iLLtUSTI^ATIONS. 



Our Party Taking it Cool at Muir Glacier, Frontispiece. 

Interior of Dining Car, 13 

The Seven Falls, 24 

Gateway, Garden of the Gods 28 

Interior of Observation Car 31 

Pavilion at Garfield Beach, Great Salt lyake, . . 44 

Bell Tower, San Gabriel Mission 87 

The Three Brothers 121 

Hotel Del Monte, Monterey, California .... 158 

Wreck of the "San Pedro," 171 

Totem Poles, Fort Wrangle, 178 

Halibut Hook, 182 

Taking on Ice, Taku Bay, 184 

Baronoff Castle, Sitka 188 

Main Street and Greek Church, Sitka 190 

Ice Floe, Glacier Bay, 196 

Landing at Muir Glacier, 198 

Muir Glacier, 200 

Multnomah Falls 210 

Fish Wheel, 212 

Shoshone Falls, 218 

Arangee Ranch, 230 

Fording the Snake River, 232 

Minerva Terrace 250 



^ONDBI^LAND 

SWELYE ^EEI(S IN AND OU^T OP 

THE United Stajpes. 

• • • • 

Chapter I. 

IOestwai^d BoawD. 

y^HE blustering weather of a New Jersey 
^^ March was upon us. Streets and pav^ements 
were swept on alternate days by gusts of rain 
and clouds of dust. Trees, lawns and all out- 
doors still wore a look of wintry dilapidation, 
and even pedestrians cut awkward figures at- 
tempting to round corners, cross streets or enter 
doorways in the face of the searching winds 
which whistled in doleful tones around the cor- 
ners of houses and down chimney-flues, bringing 
to vivid realization the discomfort attending the 
traditional "lingering of Spring in the lap of 
Winter." 

While enjoying the comforts of our home and 
watching an occasional pedestrian struggling 



lO WONDERLAND. 

against the driving wind, our thoughts turned 
to pictures of the "Sunny South," where a few 
years since we had, on a visit to Florida, ex- 
changed the ill-tempered March weather of New 
Jersey for the balmy atmosphere of that land of 
oranges and palm-trees. 

Conversation became animated as little by little 
the ladies of the household pointed out the com- 
forts and delights of that more congenial clime 
and dwelt on the absence of intrusive chills and 
dust and the exhilaration of *a change from the 
cyclonic winds now roaring in the chimney to 
the placidity of a zephyr in the land of alligators. 

Such comparisons proved too convincing as 
from day to day they were adverted to, and soon 
it was decided to arrange for a journey. 

"If we were only in California," remarked the 
most enthusiastic of our group, "all this disa- 
greeable weather would be avoided, and we 
could there choose between the comforts of easy- 
chairs on a hotel piazza in mellow sunshine, and 
the more active contact with Nature in orange 
groves and on grassy lawns, where breezes fan 
but do not ruffle, and where the balmy atmos- 
phere imparts a feeling of comfort and health- 
fulness quite the reverse of that which we now 
experience. ' ' 



WESTWARD BOUND. II 

As all agreed that there was nothing apparent 
to prevent the real consummation of a hope so 
ardently expressed, it required but a short time 
to outline the journey and perfect the plans for 
a three months' tour. 

It was a beautiful morning when we boarded 
the "Golden Gate" special, at Trenton, and 
began our trans-continental trip. The train was 
composed entirely of Pullman cars, five in num- 
ber. The first was occupied as a baggage-car, 
barber shop, bath room and smoker ; the second 
as a dining-car ; the third and fourth, sleepers ; 
and the fifth a combination parlor, library and 
observation car. All were of the latest pattern 
and lighted throughout with electricity. The 
parlor was furnished with rattan furniture, and 
on one side was an upright piano of the best 
make. In short, we were traveling in a modern/ 
hotel on wheels. "^ 

Our party, according to the directory issued 
by the railroad company, consisted of twenty- 
eight persons, most of whom resided in or near 
Philadelphia. When the train arrived at the 
City of Brotherly I,ove the greater part of the 
company came on board, and we then began our 
journey toward the great West. The suburban 
towns, with their neat stations, were passed in 



12 WONDERLAND. 

rapid succession. All through the Chester Val- 
ley, the garden spot of Pennsylvania, the thrifty 
farmers viere busy tilling the ground preparatory 
to planting their tobacco crop, for which this 
region is famous. Short stops were made at 
Lancaster and Harrisburg. 

At Altoona an extra engine was attached to 
the train to help us over the mountains. The 
wonderful Horseshoe Curve was passed in a driz- 
zling rain, but that did not deter many from 
taking seats in the observation- car, where they 
could obtain an unobstructed view of it. 

Twelve miles west of Altoona the train entered 
the tunnel which penetrates the Alleghany moun- 
tains and marks the highest elevation of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad system. Emerging from 
the tunnel the train passed Galitzeu, a town 
named after Count Oalitzen, a Russian Noble- 
man who renounced the pomp and glory of the 
Russian court and became a Roman Catholic 
priest. He settled in this section long before the 
railroad was constructed, and built up around 
him a settlement which at one time did not hav^e 
a Protestant within its borders. His remains 
now rest in a vault in the grounds of the convent 
at Loretta, a small village near Cresson. Here 
the extra engine was dispensed with and the 



WESTWARD BOUND. 



13 



train commenced the descent of the western 
slope of the Alleghany mountains. In a few 
moments we whirled past Cresson, a summer 




Interior of Dining Car. 

resort under the control of the Pennsylvania 
Railroad Company. The Mountain House and 
cottages were in full view of the train, and the 



14 WONDERLAND. 

well-kept lawns indicated a very attractive place. 
In a short time the train passed ill-fated Johns- 
town, where but recently hundreds of lives and 
millions of dollars in property were lost by the 
bursting of the dam which confined the waters of 
the South Fork, then owned and used as a ren- 
dezvous by the South Fork Fishing Club. 

The sun had disappeared in the west when we 
entered the coke region. The lurid flames which 
shot up from the numerous ovens made a sight 
readily transformed by a liv^ely imagination into 
close relationship to the infernal regions. Fur- 
ther on we entered the domain of natural gas and 
saw for the first time the startling beauty of the 
burning fluid shooting upward from its mysteri- 
ous abode in nature's retorts. As we approached 
Pittsburg the lights from the furnaces of the 
Edgar Thompson and Carnagie Iron and Steel 
Works illumined the heavens for miles around. 
Night was full upon us when the train entered 
this city, where only a short stop was made. 
Here our party was augmented by the arrival of 
four ladies, who, as soon as they had arranged 
their packages in their state-rooms, joined the 
others in the parlor-car. 

The evening was passed in getting acquainted, 
and before retiring we were as much at ease as 



WESTWARD BOUND. 1 5 

though we had known each other for years 
instead of a few hours. With the exception of 
three persons, who were traveling for their 
health, the entire party was on pleasure bent. 

Pleasantly passed the hours until, by way of 
diversion, a rather pretty but over-confident 
young lady from Boston betook herself to the 
piano and showered solos of such distressful 
melody upon all present that, in self-defence, our 
party could do nothing so appropriate as to 
retire for the night. The day had brought us 
many delights, and we had withstood the 
fatigue of climbing the Alleghany mountains, 
and even absoibed much natural gas eyi route, 
but not until the Boston singer appeared at the 
piano had we realized a fitting sense of weari- 
ness. 

On awaking in the morning we were in the 
northern part of Indiana, and by ten o'clock 
we arrived at Chicago, one hour and a half 
ahead of schedule time. 

At the station a number of carriages were 
waiting to take us sight-seeing through the 
resident portion of the city and the different 
parks. Being still early in the season, very 
few of the lawns in front of the residences had 
been stripped of their winter garb. As we 



l6 WONDERLAND. 

were near Jackson Park, the driver was told to 
take us to the Exposition grounds. After 
paying the admittance fee of twenty-five cents, 
we drove into the grounds, where a large army 
of workmen and artisans were busy constructing 
the different buildings for the World's Fair. 
The women's building was the only one yet 
completed. Luncheon was served at the Audi- 
torium Hotel, the dining-room of which is on 
the ninth floor, and from our table an excellent 
view of Lake Michigan could be had. Most 
of the afternoon was spent in visiting the large 
business houses, and at the jewelrj' stores almost 
every one of the party bought souvenir spoons 
of the Windy City. 

Reaching the station sometime before the 
departure of our train, two eager tourists 
engaged a carriage to take them through the 
tunnels under the Chicago river. Entering the 
shaky rig, they were quickly off and soon 
arrived at the opening which leads under the 
river. Waiting for a moment until a car had 
passed, the driver urged his horse to a gallop. 
Before reaching the middle of the tunnel another 
car was heard approaching in the rear, clanging 
its bell at a furious rate. The driver applied 
the whip to his already galloping old steed, 



WESTWARD BOUND. 1 7 

which looked ready to drop at every jump, and 
the top of the incline was reached just ahead of 
the car. One of the occupants, a lady, was con 
siderably frightened, but had the courage to say 
not a word until safely off the car tracks, when 
she vowed that she would not soon again be 
guilty of another such " wild-goose chase " At 
five o'clock all were again on board the train, 
bound westward 

It was early in the morning when we crossed 
the Missouri river and entered Nebraska. After 
a short stop in Omaha, to change engines, the 
train continued on its flight toward the Pacific. 
Soon we were out on the broad and undulating 
prairies. For miles we could see the smoke 
arising from the burning straw stacks which the 
farmers were destroying preparatory to plowing 
for the spring planting. As the train sped 
farther and farther west, an occasional ' ' sod 
house" would appear, and before the sun went 
down few farm-houses were seen that were not 
built of sod. The towns and cities, however, 
showed a far more progressive spirit than many 
Eastern towns of five or six times the number of 
inhabitants. Every town of over 2,500 inhabi- 
tants was lighted with electricity, and many of 
them had electric railways. 



l8 WONDERLAND. 

Our trip across this wonderful State was made 
more pleasant because of the recent rains which 
had thoroughly soaked the ground and settled 
the dust. In the evening a progressive-euchre 
party was organized, and it was late before the 
players retired. 

On awaking in the morning we were in the 
yards near the Union depot, in Denver. After 
breakfast carriages were called and a tour of 
inspection of this model Western city was made. 
The magnificent homes in the resident portion 
were particularly striking. It seemed as if a 
diflferent architect had planned each house, and 
that all had put forth an especial efifort to make 
a comfortable home, with a pleasing perspective. 

Denver is one of the most progressive cities in 
the West. Great fortunes have been (and are 
still being) made in real estate. I had the 
pleasure of meeting General Lessig, who settled 
in Denver when there were only 3,000 inhabi- 
tants, and who went there with a very small 
capital. He invested in real estate and is now 
several times a millionaire. One piece of prop- 
erty in particular was bought by him at a cost of 
$1,500, and was sold recently for $135,000. The 
present owners hold it at $250,000. 

The streets are well shaded except in the 



WESTWARD BOUND. I9 

business portion of the city. Along each side- 
walk runs an irrigating ditch ; into this the 
water is turned every day in order to supply 
moisture to the trees, without which they would 
die, as the air is very dry and rain seldom falls. 

The business houses, although not so high as 
those in Chicago, are fully as handsome, and 
rent for fabulous sums. 

At the conclusion of our ride we were taken 
to the Windsor Hotel, where luncheon was * 
prepared for the entire company. As the after- 
noon was left to our own disposal, many of 
the photograph-galleries and curio-stores were 
visited. As usual, almost every one had a col- 
lection of souvenir spoons to show to the com- 
pany on returning to the car. 

While walking through one of the streets I 
had the fortune to meet an old schoolmate, who 
had "gone west" to grow up with the country. 
It was one of those pleasing episodes which 
sometimes startle a traveler when far from home 
and least expecting it. He was particularly 
enthusiastic over the growth of Denver, pre- 
dicted for it a glorious future, and gave con- 
vincing reasons for his unbounded faith. 

Bidding farewell to the "Queen City of the 
Plains," as Denver is popularly known in the 



20 WONDERLAND. 

West, our train started for Colorado Springs, 
celebrated as a haven for people of weak lungs 
and delicate constitutions. Many of Denver's 
citizens make it their summer resort, and 
thus also escape the hot winds from the 
plains. It was soon noticed that two of our 
fellow-passengers were not in their accustomed 
places, and upon inquiry it was ascertained that 
one of the young ladies had been taken sud- 
denly ill, and was unable to leave the hotel. 
Her mother had remained with her, but they 
fully expected to proceed on their journey in a 
few days, and, if possible, meet us at Salt Lake 
City. 

The road winds through the foot-hills, gradu- 
ally ascending until an altitude of 7,238 feet 
above tide water is reached. The scenery is 
enchanting. On many of the hills are forma- 
tions known as Spanish castles, and looking 
from the platform of the observation-car one 
could readily imagine that he was traveling in 
Spain and actually gazing upon her ancient 
ruins. Standing out by itself, thus making it 
more prominent, is a mountain surmounted by a 
rock of very large dimensions, known as Castle 
Rock. It is a wonderful curiosity, and looks as 
if it had been chiseled by the hand of man 



WESTWARD BOUND. 21 

instead of the quiet but powerful work of air 
and moisture. 

All along we could see the irrigating-ditches 
which carry water from the mountains and dis- 
tribute it to the different ranches and towns in 
the valley. The land lying below these ditches 
is cultivated and makes large returns, while that 
above is used for grazing purposes. The Yucca, 
or soap-weed, grows in great quantities above 
these ditches. It resembles the century-plant 
very much, though the leaves are somewhat 
smaller. The root of this plant was once the 
only soap used by the Indians and Mexicans, 
who pulverized it and used it in the same man- 
ner as people of this day use the numerous pow- 
dered soap compounds. 

Palmer Lake was the highest point reached. 
It is an artificial body of water formed by dam- 
ming a mountain stream. In the centre of it is 
a fountain throwing a jet of water fully twenty - 
five feet into the air. The train stopped for a 
few moments at the station, and while the engi- 
neer was overlooking his engine two irrepressible 
tramps came up to the cars begging — thus 
demonstrating that his species is universal and 
beyond the possibility of reform or suppression, 
even in the highest altitudes of the Rocky moun- 
tains. 



22 WONDERLAND. 

The down-trip of the train was rendered very 
pleasant by General Lessig, who entertained the 
whole party with reminiscences of his life in the 
West. He has been in Colorado since 1867, and 
has seen the State grow from an insignificant 
Territory to one of the richest and most progres- 
sive States in the Union. 

It was late in the evening when we reached 
Colorado Springs, and after a hearty supper at 
the Antlers, most of us retired. A number 
attended a ball given in honor of the company. 

Sunday was a day of rest, excepting a walk 
to the South Canon of the Cheyenne. On the 
way we passed a stand where broncos were for 
hire, and as one of our party, who had already 
gained a reputation for seeing a little more and 
going a little farther than anybody else, was 
desirous of taking "a ride," a bargain was 
struck and he was soon astride one of the 
animals. This particular bronco had formerly 
been used as a packer on the Pike's Peak trail, 
and had acquired a very slow gait, which no 
amount of coaxing or pounding could get him to 
abandon. Another peculiarity of this Rocky 
mountain pet was that he would never cross a 
ditch first, so every stream our equestrian friend 
came to he had to dismount and lead the bronco 



WESTWARD BOUND. 23 

across, then remount and be off on a very slow 
walk. On returning, our rider got off to lead 
him over the stream, when, to his surprise, he 
started on a trot for the tie-post, where he meekly 
stood with a lazy expression in his eyes which 
indicated that he would breathe his life out 
sweetly there rather than carry a tenderfoot 
another yard. That bronco is probably stand- 
ing there yet. 

In the afternoon we walked up the canon to 
the Seven Falls, On all sides the cliffs were 
almost perpendicular to heights of 1,000 and 
1,500 feet, and at some points we seemed cut 
off from communication with the outer world. 
Every movement forward brought another sur- 
prise, and when the view of the Seven Falls 
burst upon us we stood in utter astonishment for 
several minutes. We then ascended the stairs 
that run alongside the falls. It was a tiresome 
climb of two hundred and sixty steps, but every 
step was repaid. At the top of the falls a trail 
leads to the grave of Helen Hunt Jackson, 
author of ' ' Ramona. ' ' Her body no longer 
rests in this romantic spot, but the different 
stones left there by admirers of her works still 
remain, although every visitor now takes a small 
stone away as a memento. 




The Seven Falls. 



WESTWARD BOUND. 25 

Monday morning, a carriage having been 
engaged, we were off bright and early to visit 
the famous springs of Manitou and the Garden 
of the Gods. 

Manitou is about five miles from Colorado 
Springs, and is connected with the latter by an 
electric railway. The wagon road between the 
two resorts is in very good condition, making 
the drive a pleasant one. About midway be- 
tween the two cities lies Colorado City, the first 
capital of the Silver State. It is now a pro- 
gressive little village and shows some signs of 
substantial growth. Rounding a turn in the 
road, Manitou comes into view. It is nestled in 
the valley overshadowed by Pike's Peak. As 
we approached the town we drove past several 
villas, with their groves of graceful trees and 
maze of shrubbery. It appears to be composed 
of hotels, boarding-houses and small shops, 
where are exposed for sale agates of various 
kinds, curiosities and Indian work, for which 
exorbitant prices are obtained. 

The springs are six in number, of which the 
Soda and the Ute Iron are the largest and most 
popular. At each of these a dipper-boy is kept 
busy handing out the water. Of course he gets 
no pay for his work, but he is not unwilling to 
3 



26 WONDERLAND. 

accept a nickel from every drinker. The owners 
of these two springs have large pavilions where 
curiosities and Colorado jewelry are sold at the 
usual high prices. 

After driving through the principal street and 
going to the Pike's Peak railroad station to see 
the peculiar engine used for carrying passengers 
to the summit of the mountain, our driver took 
us over to Ute Pass, up past a beautiful little 
waterfall, known as Rainbow Falls, to the en- 
trance of the Manitou caverns. Here all alighted 
from the carriage, and, after paying a dollar 
each, a lamp was handed us and we were told to 
"follow the guide." Passing into a medium- 
sized chamber we were all asked to stop and 
deliver our tickets, after which the guide took 
us through the few remaining rooms. In one of 
the chambers is seen what is called the "Grand 
Organ," but it seemed very inharmonious when 
one of the guides tried to play a familiar tune on 
it. In the end of one room is a curious collection 
of bones, said to have been found in the cavern. 
All of the formations in the cave are small and 
insignificant when compared with those of lyUray 
and the Grottoes of the Shenandoah. 

Retracing our way we pass through Manitou 
and start for one of the greatest wonders of the 
West, the "Garden of the Gods." 



WESTWARD BOUND. 27 

Entering the Garden we are first attracted to 
a number of formations known as the Toad 
Stools, some of which are fully fifteen feet in 
height. Balanced Rock is then passed. It is 
an immense boulder poised on a slender base, 
and looks as if it would fall at the least touch. 
We are now kept busy listening to the names of 
the different formations. All animals are shown 
us, and the imagination readily sees the resem- 
blance. The Quakers, I,iberty, Ben Butler and 
various other formations are passed. All are 
formed by the combined action of wind, rain, 
sunbeam and frost, the all-powerful tools of 
Nature. 

As we pass through the Gateway and see the 
wonderful formation, appearing as if it were 
hewn through the solid rock, we involuntarily 
exclaim, "How wonderful are Thy works, O 
Lord ! " It has the appearance of two lofty 
slabs of red sandstone set opposite each other, 
about seventy-five feet apart, and rising to a 
height of about three hundred feet from the road- 
bed. A little back from the gate, in the Garden, 
stand the Cathedral Spires. They are of the 
same kind of sandstone — a brilliant red. It is 
impossible to describe the wonderful works Na- 
ture has displayed in this marvelous ' ' Garden 



WESTWARD BOUND. 29 

of the Gods." The diflferent formations can be 
photographed, but the colorings can never be 
transferred to canvas. 

Passing out of the Garden our drive takes us 
to Glen Eyrie, the home of General Palmer. It 
is a garden on a smaller scale, although some of 
the formations are even more remarkable than 
those in the Garden of the Gods. One rock, 
known as "Major Domo," rises to a height of 
three hundred feet, and because of a curious 
formation on top looks as if it would fall without 
warning. 

Leaving the Glen we are taken to the Antlers, 
where a lunch is in readiness. 

Before repairing to our hotel on wheels we 
bade goodbye to three of our company. Two 
of them had only intended coming this far, while 
the other, one of the Pittsburg contingent, had 
expected to go to the Pacific Slope. It was 
upon the recommendation of a physician that 
she had concluded to return to the East. 

Evening found our company again in the cars, 
glad to get back to the comforts of our home on 
wheels. 

It was quite early in the morning when the 
jolting of the cars brought the realization that 
our train had pulled out of the station at Colo- 



30 WONDERLAND 

rado Springs, and that we were again moving 
toward the Pacific Slope. 

We arrived at Pueblo about seven o'clock, and 
while engines were being changed and various 
other matters attended to a number of us got off 
the train and walked through a portion of the 
town. Pueblo is distinctively a railroad centre, 
being the division headquarters of the Denver 
and Rio Grande systems It is also a manufac- 
turing town. A number of smelters have been 
erected here, and one of the trainmen informed 
us that fully three fourths of the ore that passed 
over the Denver and Rio Grande railroad stopped 
at Pueblo. The Union depot is one of the finest 
in the West. The railroads that bring the ore 
from the mines are narrow-gauge, and when a 
broad gauge road is met an extra rail is put 
between the two rails, making two tracks on 
three rails. It seemed very novel at first to see 
a standard-gauge engine pulling narrow-gauge 
cars, but this soon wore off. After leaving 
Pueblo we passed through a section of country 
where numerous oil-wells had been sunk, and 
it suggested sights in western Pennsylvania on 
our first day out. 

After passing through the oil country we par- 
took of our morning meal, which the crisp air, 



WESTWARD BOUND. 



31 




Interior of Observation-Car. 



combined with the walk at Pueblo, stimulated 
to a full measure of enjoyment. Breakfast over, 
all hands hurried to the observation-car in order 



32 WONDERLAND. 

to get advantageous seats for viewing the grand 
canon of the Arkansas. As we approached the 
canon the brakeman showed us where three men 
had "held up " a train but a short time before. 
It seemed a favorable spot for such enterprise, 
and a feeling of self preservation ripened a desire 
to pass on into less " favorable " territory. 

Entering the cafion the railroad skirts along 
the banks of the Arkansas river, hugging the 
base of the almost perpendicular walls of granite 
which rise over one thousand feet above the 
river-bed. The narrowest part of the canon is 
known as the "Royal Gorge," and when the 
railroad was first projected it was deemed almost 
impossible to build it through a canon where 
there appeared to be scarcely room for the river 
alone, and where the granite mountains pre- 
sented their almost impenetrable sides as a 
barrier to the engineers who surveyed the line. 
Leadville, then the centre of all eyes, and the 
greatest carbonate mining camp in the world, 
must be reached, and the most direct way was 
through this canon. To build the road-bed 
through the gorge required much engineering. 
The river, dashing at a furious rate, occupied 
all the available space, and the granite walls, 
refusing to yield their firm grip, caused the 



WESTWARD BOUND. 33 

engineers to build a suspension -bridge over the 
rushing torrent. The bridge does not cross 
the river, but is built parallel with it, and is 
supported by girders and braces which rest on 
both sides of the stream. Our train was stopped 
on the bridge, and many of us stepped out upon 
the girders and almost broke our necks looking 
up to determine how high the smoothly-polished 
granite walls extended above us. Several of the 
party had Kodaks and secured some very fine 
pictures of the surrounding heights. For miles 
the train rushed along between these high walls 
of stone and along the banks of the turbulent 
Arkansas river, which seemed to resent the 
intrusion of the railroad upon its boundaries by 
dashing with great fury against the carefully - 
built masonry of the road-bed. The engineer 
blew the whistle of the engine several times, the 
echo of which startlingly reverberated through 
the canon. 

At Salida we changed to a narrow-gauge road 
which runs through the Sangre De Cristo range 
and over the Marshall Pass. The road winds 
in and around the mountains, making some 
wonderfully short curves. Many of them put 
the Horseshoe Curve on the Pennsylvania rail- 
road far into the shade. At one place, when 



34 WONDERLAND. 

Standing on the rear platform of the car, we 
could see, down in the valley beneath, the track 
we had trav^eled over, and far above us was 
another over which we were soon to ride. We 
were courteously treated by the traveling en- 
gineer of the road, Mr. Barnes, who came to 
this country some fifteen years ago. As a proof 
of the healthfulness of the region through which 
we were passing he informed us that when he 
left the East he could bearly tip the beam at 130, 
but that now his weight was 200 and he was 
still actively "growing up with the country." 
He took especial pains to point out places of 
interest along the road. At several stations only 
a few deserted buildings were seen, the former 
inhabitants having moved away. Shirley is a 
striking example of this desolation, having but 
one house now standing (a half - demolished 
building once occupied as a saloon), though at 
one time it was a lively frontier town of about 
200 inhabitants. It was at the end of the rail- 
road, and all supplies for the mines were carried 
from here on burros over to the camps. It flour- 
ished in wild western fashion for about six 
months, when the railroad was extended to a 
point beyond ; then everybody packed up bed 
and baggage and moved on to the end of the 



WESTWARD BOUND. 35 

road. On a little hill just above the station 
stands a lone pine tree, and under it are neg- 
lected mounds which cover the remains of seven 
men who died with their boots on. They were 
"hold-ups," horse-thieves and gamblers. The 
residents of the town concluded one night to rid 
the community of them, so they were taken into 
custody, and after a trial were hung and buried 
underneath the spreading branches of the lone 
pine tree. 

As the train approached the top of the moun- 
tain large patches of snow were passed and 
several snow-sheds covered the track. At the 
summit the train stopped under a long snow- 
shed to enable the engineer to test the air-brakes 
before commencing the descent. While waiting, 
some of us climbed to the top of an observatory 
to view the surrounding mountains. The wind 
was blowing a fearful gale, almost taking away 
one's breath, so we did not stay long, but hur- 
ried back to the warm cars. On the descent, 
Mr. Barnes pointed out Ouray and Chevenaugh 
peaks, the two highest of the range. They were 
named for two of the principal chiefs of the Ute 
Indians, both of whom were friendly to the 
white settlers. These peaks were covered with 



36 WONDERLAND. 

snow and towered high above the surrounding 
mountains. 

After dinner at Sargents, the meal-station, we 
turned our faces toward Salida. While crossing 
the highest point of the mountains several of the 
young ladies came near fainting on account of 
the high altitude and rarity of the air. As it 
was, all of the smelling salts bottles were brought 
into requisition. Arriving at Salida at supper- 
time we were happily surprised to see the lady 
who was to return to the East standing on the 
platform waiting to receive us. She had con- 
cluded to risk the trip and had come down from 
Colorado Springs to rejoin the party. 

The evening was spent in playing games of 
various kinds, until a despatch was received 
from Denver saying that the young lady whom 
we had left there was not expected to live, and 
urging her two sisters to return at once. This 
information threw a gloom over the party, and 
the departing sisters, who had been among the 
most spirited of our company, were greatly 
missed. 

We remained in Salida until two o'clock in 
the morning, in order to pass through the Eagle 
river and Grand river canons by daylight. At 
five o'clock the train pulled into the station at 



WESTWARD BOUICD. 37 

Leadville, the greatest carbonate camp in the 
world. Only a few of the party were up to see 
the sun rise over the peaks and enjoy a walk in 
the crisp air. The thermometer stood at fourteen 
degrees above zero on the station platform. 

Leaving Leadville the train began to ascend 
the Tennessee Pass, the highest point reached 
by the railroad. Here we were 10,418 feet above 
tide-water. The ground was covered with snow, 
and the only signs of life were the huts of the 
tie-choppers and charcoal-burners. This is the 
great continental "divide." The waters falling 
on this range flow into both oceans. 

The Mount of the Holy Cross, so named from 
two gulches that cross each other and in which 
the snow never melts (thus forming a snow-white 
cross), was passed, but being entirely covered 
with snow the form of the cross could not be 
seen. 

After descending the pass and speeding by 
several towns the train entered Eagle river 
caiion. The walls are over two thousand feet 
above the railroad, yet on the cliffs and crags 
are to be seen the shaft-houses and miners' 
cabins, where the miners work and live, delving 
for the precious gold and silver abundantly found 
there. This canon contains one of the richest 



38 WONDERLAND. 

gold mines in Colorado. The rocks are of 
various colors, and, relieved by the sombre pine, 
form paintings which pen cannot depict nor 
artist duplicate. 

The canon of the Grand river was next en- 
tered. It differs from the other canons, and 
presents columns, castles, turrets, towers and 
statues with all imaginable colorings, every 
point or curve in the road presenting a new and 
apparently more wonderful formation. 

Our next stop was at Glenwood Springs. It 
is a beautiful place, and is a health and pleasure 
resort. The hot sulphur springs are the prin- 
cipal attraction. A company controls them and 
have erected a very handsome bath house. It 
is built of red sandstone and finished in hard 
wood. An immense pool for plunge-bathing has 
been constructed in the open air. One end of 
the pool, where the water comes directly from 
the springs, is steaming hot, while the other end 
is much cooler, the difference in temperature 
being caused by the introduction of cold water. 
Where the springs issue from the ground the 
steam arises in such quantities that houses have 
been constructed over them and the steam 
utilized for vapor baths. As the train stopped 
for more than two hours, all the gentlemen of 



WESTWARD BOUND. 39 

our party hired suits and went into the pool. 
That the novel bath was greatly enjoyed goes 
without saying. Within twenty-four hours we 
had passed through snow and had bathed in hot- 
water pools formed by Nature in the open air. 

Leaving Glenwood our train wended its way 
between mountains and through valleys until 
night put an end to views from the car windows. 

On awaking in the morning the train was 
skirting along the banks of the river Jordan, 
which flows from Utah Lake into Great Salt 
Lake. Before breakfast was finished our train 
rolled into the station at Salt Lake City, the 
great Mormon capital. Awaiting us when we 
alighted from the train was our cousin, Mr. 
Harvey J. Jones. Having been a resident of 
the city for some time, we were enabled by his 
guidance to visit many places which no doubt 
would have been missed had it not been for him. 

Leaving the train we took up our quarters at 
the Knutsford, the largest hotel owned by the 
Gentiles in the city. As soon as we were com- 
fortably settled a large tally-ho coach rolled up 
to the door and we soon occupied seats on top 
of it. Our driver was a Mormon, who took 
great pride in showing the handsome buildings 
owned by the people of his own religious faith. 



40 WONDERLAND. 

He was the son of Heber C. Kimball, one of the 
early leaders of the Church, who, during his 
lifetime, was next in authority to Brigham 
Young, and who, had the latter died first, would 
have succeeded to the presidency of the Mormon 
Church. The first place visited was Temple 
Square, where the different buildings connected 
with the Mormon services are located. The 
square is enclosed by a stone wall about twelve 
feet high. Within the enclosure the grounds 
surrounding the buildings are tastefully laid out 
with flowers. The principal buildings are the 
Temple, the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall. 
The latter was the first building erected. Its 
ceiling is frescoed with paintings showing the 
different temples in which the Mormons worship 
or have worshiped, including the one at Nauvoo, 
Illinois. There are also paintings representing 
different scenes which led to the finding of the 
Golden Tablets. The Tabernacle is an immense 
building, and within it are held the great con- 
ferences of the disciples of the lyatter-Day Saints, 
as the Mormons call themselves. The roof is 
like a hemisphere, and is called "The Turtle 
Back ' ' by the unregenerate Gentiles. Its acous- 
tic properties are perfect, being so constructed 
that a whisper uttered at the president's desk 



WESTWARD BOUND. 4I 

can be heard at the farthest end of the building. 
The Temple is now completed. President Smith, 
at the laying of the corner-stone, prophesied that 
it would be forty years in building, and the 
faithful were determined that the prophecy 
should be fulfilled. The forty years expired on 
the sixth of April, 1893, at which time the great 
Temple was dedicated with imposing ceremonies. 
Admission to the stairs leading to the towers was 
secured by tickets, and most of us climbed to the 
highest point. There are three towers on the 
front of the building, the central one being sur- 
mounted by a figure of heroic size representing 
Maroni, one of the founders of the Church, with 
an immense trumpet to be blown on the Resur- 
rection Morn, when he will call all the members 
of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints of Jesus 
Christ to everlasting bliss. 

The view obtained from our elevated posi- 
tion was one of exceeding beauty. In the dis- 
tance was seen the Wasatch range of mountains, 
whose crests are covered with perpetual snows 
All over the valley were farms and truck gardens 
under the finest state of cultivation In the dis- 
tance could be seen Great Salt Lake, the won- 
derful inland sea of North America The river 
Jordan, as it flowed from Utah Lake to Great 
4 



42 WONDERLAND. 

Salt Lake, could be distinctly traced. At our 
feet was the tithing-yard and the home of Brig- 
ham Young. 

Descending from our lofty position, we once 
more took our places on the coach and. were 
driven past the former residences of Brigham 
Young and notably that of his once favorite wife 
Amelia. The latter building is now known as 
the Gardo House, and is occupied by the Keely 
Institute for the reformation of drunkards. We 
were shown the graves of Brigham Young and 
those of his wives who, with him, have "joined 
the innumerable caravan." When the Gentiles 
secured control of the municipal government 
they compelled the children of the president to 
remove all bodies excepting those of Brigham 
Young and his wives from their private burial- 
ground to a cemetery outside of the city limits. 
The exception was in deference to the distin- 
guished founder of the city. 

Salt Lake City is a beautiful place. The 
streets are wide, and on each side are handsome 
rows of trees. Clear streams of water, supplied 
by irrigating canals, flow on each side of the 
street to supply moisture to the trees. Many of 
the residences are very handsome, but in the old 
part of the city most of the houses are built of 



WESTWARD BOUND. 43 

adobe or sun-dried brick. The largest business- 
house is the "Co-op," the shortest way of say- 
ing "Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institu- 
tion." It is the principal trading-house in the 
territory, and is under the supervision of the 
Church. Its branches are to be seen in every 
Mormon settlement. 

Fort Douglas, where are stationed the United 
States troops, 'is on one of the hills overlooking 
the city, and is a great pleasure resort. The 
music by the military band and the evening 
drills by the soldiers attract many of the citizens 
every evening. 

Garfield Beach is the great bathing resort, and 
is reached by the Union Pacific railroad. The ' 
pavilions are attractive, and bath-houses and 
suits may be hired at moderate price by all who 
wish to take a dip in the briny lake. We spent 
a very pleasant afternoon in watching the bath- 
ers disport themselves in the water. 

The evening was passed in visiting stores and 
buying trinkets and silver spoons to take away 
with us to recall the pleasant time passed within 
the borders of the great Mormon city, where 
even a Jew is called a Gentile. 

After a good night's rest we were again on the 
train. Passing along the shores of the lake. 



WESTWARD BOUND. 45 

great flocks of sea-gulls and ducks were seen. 
At Ogden the train stopped for a short time and 
the party surrounded two men having badges for 
delegates to a cattlemen's convention and begged 
all the badges from them. Leaving Ogden we 
were soon out on the Great American Desert. 
The barren plains reflected the rays of the sun 
and caused us to lower the curtains of the cars 
to relieve our eyes. Stations were frequently 
passed where only two buildings were visible 
One would be occupied by the section-boss and 
the station-agent, the latter performing the duties 
of operator, station agent and postmaster ; the 
other would probably be occupied by Chinese 
laborers employed on the railroad. 

Sage-brush and grease-weed comprise the only 
vegetation that thrives on this desert, although 
at one station we alighted and picked some very 
pretty and fragrant flowers. 

It was a wearisome day and we were glad 
when night came, so that we could retire and 
rest our eyes and prepare for more pleasant 
scenery on the morrow. 



46 WONDERLAND. 

Chapter H. 

©ALIPOI^NIA. 

y^HE day was fast drawing to a close, and the 
^-^^ glare from the bare mountains and white 
sands of the desert was rapidly passing away 
when our party gathered in the observation car 
to discuss events, compare plans and make ar- 
rangements for continuing the trip after reaching 
San Francisco. The evening was pleasantly 
spent in listening to songs and the music of the 
piano and mandolin furnished by the employes 
of the railroad. It was quite late when the last 
" good-nights" were spoken and all had retired. 
On awaking in the morning we were some- 
what surprised to see the ground covered with 
snow and the mountains dressed in stately pine 
forests. Stopping at Truckee a number of us 
got off to indulge in "snow-ball" and walk 
around. At one end of the station some prac- 
tical joker had improvised a cage from a stray 
box and painted on it this inscription : "A Large 
Red Bat Caught in the Red Canon." On look- 
ing between the bars a red brick-bat was seen. 
The "sell" caused considerable merriment, both 



CALIFORNIA. 47 

among the loungers at the station and the mem- 
bers of our party. 

After breakfast each member of the party was 
presented with a carefully-prepared itinerary of 
the resorts in California. It was the joint work 
of Mr. Purdy, the tourist agent, and Mrs. Ben- 
der, the chaperon, representing the Pennsylvania 
Railroad Company. They had been several days 
in preparing it, and we found it a source of great 
convenience when visiting the different resorts of 
the Golden State. 

Leaving Truckee the train soon entered' a long 
line of snow-sheds. For forty miles we traveled 
under this overground tunnel. The longest con- 
tinual shed was thirty-five miles Through open 
ings in the sides of the shed, where an occasional 
board had dropped ofi^, glimpses of Donner L,ake 
were to be had. This lake was named after Cap- 
tain Donner, who led a party of emigrants across 
the plains and mountains during the early excite- 
ment of the gold fever, which raged in the latter 
part of the forties. The Donner expedition was 
among the first to cross the plains, and the hard- 
ships and dangers experienced have passed into 
history. Thirty-four of these pioneers died of 
starvation on the banks of this lake. 



48 WONDRRLAND. 

Emerging from the sheds we commenced the 
descent around the mountains. About the mid- 
dle of the forenoon we rounded Cape Horn, a 
bold promontory, where the train seemed ready- 
to topple over into the canon, twenty-five hun- 
dred feet below. 

When the road was being constructed, work- 
men were let down by ropes from the cliflfs above 
and suspended in midair until they could drill 
and blast away rock suflficient to obtain a foot- 
hold. A drizzling rain was falling when we 
passed this wonderful point, and the view of the 
valley was very much obscured. 

Before noon we were in the valley, amid flow- 
ers of every variety. The yellow California 
poppy was seen everywhere. At one of the sta- 
tions a number of little boys had armloads of 
flowers for sale. Two immense bouquets were 
purchased for twenty cents. They were espe- 
<:ially fine, and in the East would have cost from 
<552.oo to $3.50 each. 

It was noon when our train pulled into the 
station at Sacramento, where a short stop was 
made to receive orders Most of the party were 
at lunch, and consequently were unable to leave 
and see much of the town. The afternoon was 
spent in rolling through magnificent farms and 



CALIFORNIA. 49 

ranches and breathing an atmosphere fragrant 
with blooming flowers and alfalfa. Numerous 
groves of live-oak trees were passed, under 
which herds of cattle had gathered to enjoy the 
cool shade of the overspreading boughs. 

Arriving at Oakland, where we took the ferry 
for San Francisco, we left our comfortable cars 
and departed from the care of the obliging Penn- 
sylvania tourist agent and chaperons To say 
that we regretted the parting would feebly ex- 
press it. It was like leaving home to become 
strangers in a strange land. 

Before the boat had fairly left the slip the sub- 
ject of a trip to "Chinatown" was broached, and 
by the time San Francisco was reached the details 
of the trip had been decided upon. As soon as 
we were comfortably settled in our different hotels 
and dinner attended to, the gentlemen began to 
gather in the rotunda of the Palace Hotel, which 
was known as the rendezvous of the party while 
in the city. Mr. Purdy, the Pennsylvania tourist 
agent, had secured a guide, and at nine o'clock 
we left the hotel and started for a six-hour walk 
in a quarter that is entirely given up to the Chi- 
nese, known familiarly as "Chinatown." Our 
party numbered fourteen, counting the guide, 
and a jolly party it was. 



50 WONDERI^AND. 

lycaving the Palace Hotel we passed up Market 
street, then into Kearney and California streets, 
and finally into Dupont street. The last-named 
street is in what is termed the French quarter, 
where degraded women sat in open windows to 
attract willing, susceptible and unsuspecting 
visitors to their apartments. Above the doors 
each inmate had her name painted in large 
letters. For two or three blocks on each side 
of the street the houses are given over to these 
women. As we hurried through this quarter an 
elderly German of our party remarked, " Dis ish 
von hell of a town," to which we all agreed. 

Chinatown, as you enter it, presents a semi- 
respectable appearance. Large stores, filled with 
Chinese goods, attract the eyes and the pocket- 
book. Some small trinkets were bought, but as 
we were out sight-seeing and not shopping we 
hurried on. Passing a cheap restaurant we 
looked within, but that was all. The odor of 
the place did not encourage further investigation. 
At one of the stores some cakes were ofi"ered for 
sale. The guide told us they were made from 
sprouted beans, a basket of which was standing 
on the sidewalk. Eggs imported from China, 
done up in black mud, were on the counters. 
Beetles as large as one's thumb were sold by the 



CALIFORNIA. 51 

dozen. Dried horned toads were recommended 
as a cure for rheumatism, a couple of which were 
handed us by way of a bid for business. 

Chinese children, with their little pigtails 
hanging down their backs, were running through 
every street, making the air resound with their 
merry shouts. Men were hurrying to and fro, 
some bound for the gambling-dens which appear 
on every side and seem well patronized, and 
others on various errands, giving the whole place 
a lively appearance. Very few women were 
seen, as most of those brought to this country 
are employed in questionable and immoral diver- 
sions, and their owners keep a strict watch over 
them for fear some one will entice them into new 
fields of degradation. Chinese women are in 
high demand here since the Exclusion act was 
passed. 

Going into a court of one of the large lodging- 
houses, several bags and baskets were noticed 
hanging to the wall. They were receptacles for 
waste paper. If a piece of paper should drop in 
the court the first Chinaman passing would pick 
it up and put it into one of the receptacles. The 
bags are emptied every day by the different 
societies, each of which has its own collector. 



52 WONDERLAND. 

The paper is then taken to one of the Joss- 
houses, where it is burned 

Peering into one of the lodging-rooms, from 
which came a nauseous odor, a strange sight 
greeted us. Rows of narrow bunks, hardly- 
wide enough for one man to lie in comfortably, 
reached from floor to ceiling. As many as forty 
Chinamen occupied one room. The only ven- 
tilation when the door was closed was secured 
through four auger-holes, two inches in diameter, 
bored in the top of the door. At one place the 
guide pointed out what resembled a pigeon-roost 
nailed to the side of one of the buildings. It 
was the home of four Chinamen. The dimen- 
sions of the box were about as follows : height, 
four feet ; breadth, eighteen inches ; length, 
about ten feet. It was reached by a ladder, 
and the last one up pulled the ladder in with 
him. 

. The Joss-house was next visited, and it was 
. inspected with much curiosity by our company. 
A peculiarity of the Joss houses is that they 
always face the east. One of the several that we 
visited was located on the east side of the street, 
facing west (originally used for business or other 
purpose). To enter it we passed under an arch- 
way to what was formerly the rear of the building. 



CALIFORNIA. 53 

Here we saw a decidedly ornamental front, with a 
balcony extending the entire width of the build- 
ing. At each end of the balcony sat an immense 
dragon, open-mouthed, and holding between its 
jaws a large ball. According to the belief of the 
Chinese the ball prevents the closing of the 
dragon's mouth and thus prevents the devil from 
bothering any of the members of the fraternity 
who contribute to the support of this particular 
Joss-house. 

Entering, we climbed the stairs, noticing on the 
wall strips of paper covered with Chinese charac- 
ters. They represented the amounts given by 
devotees for the support of the house. Going 
into the room the guide picked up some candles 
and incense-sticks, and explained the mode of 
worship and the offices of the different gods. 
The carvings in the temple were wonderful spec- 
imens of workmanship. Before leaving we were 
solicited to buy some incense -sticks to "bling 
gooda luck." Considerable time could have 
been spent examining the bronzes, armors and 
different paraphernalia of the house. 

The theatre was the greatest treat. We went 
in through the actors' entrance, wound around 
upstairs and down, under pavements, through 
cellars and into all sorts of places, including the 



54 WONDERLAND. 

kitchen and sleeping-apartments of the employes, 
and finally landed in the dressing-room, where 
several of the actors were making their "toilet," 
and from there to the stage. The orchestra was 
on the back of the stage, in full view of 
the audience, and comprised several screeching 
stringed instruments, some tom-toms and a pair 
of immense cymbals that were continually clang- 
ing. Such music would drive a nervous person 
wild. The make up of the principal actor was 
indescribable. His head-rigging consisted of an 
immense crown of feathers and paper, with two 
feathers fully five feet long which he would grab 
occasionally and strut about the stage, much to 
our amusement. The audience was not an 
enthusiastic one, as the Chinese never applaud ; 
but woe to the actor who makes the least break 
in his part — he will be hissed off the stage. The 
men and women occupy different sections, the 
former having the first floor and the latter the 
gallery. 

The Chinese never finish a play in one evening. 
It will sometimes run for six months before the 
entire play has been produced. The one we 
attended had been on the boards for three weeks, 
and three weeks longer would be required before 
the final act would be played. 



CALIFORNIA. 55 

Leaving the theatre we next visited an opium- 
joint. As the establishment was in the base-\ 
ment, we descended a rickety flight of steps 
leading to it. The fumes of the opium, as they 
were wafted up through the opening, were any- 
thing but pleasant, but as we were out sight see- 
ing we did not mind a little thing like that, and 
kept right on. The guide led the way, and 
making a misstep shot headlong into the middle 
of the room, much to the surprise of the keeper 
of the joint, who was not accustomed to see his 
patrons enter in such an undignified and hasty 
manner. As we entered, the villainous-looking 
proprietor, who sat in a small box-like compart- 
ment weighing out the drug, gave us a very 
severe scowl, but that did not deter us. The 
establishment was very poorly patronized on this 
occasion, as only two unfortunates were upon the 
hard shelves "hitting the pipe." The furnish- 
ing of the place was most primitive. On each 
side of the room was a shelf about seven or eight 
feet wide, upon which the patrons roasted their 
opium and inhaled the fumes of the noxious 
drug. It was upon this platform that the two 
men lay. When asked how they liked to smoke, 
the reply was, 'Maka feela gooda." As we were 
leaving, other customers came down the steps, 



56 WONDERLAND. 

bought their supply of opium and started for the 
hard shelves, where they would soon be under 
the influence of the drug. 

This was but one of the numerous opium- 
joints to be found in underground Chinatown, 
where the lazy and dissolute smokers and eaters 
of the drug spend their time and wabte their 
energy. A Chinese scholar thus sums up the 
bad effects of opium, which, he says, is taken at 
first to raise the animal spirits and prevent lassi- 
tude : "It exhausts the animal spirits, impedes 
the regular performance of business, wastes the 
flesh and blood, dissipates every kind of prop- 
erty, renders the person ill-favored, promotes 
obscenity, violates the laws, attacks the vitals, 
and destroys life. In comparison with arsenic, I 
pronounce it tenfold the greater poison ; one 
swallows arsenic because he has lost his reputa- 
tion, and is so involved that he cannot extricate 
himself. Thus driven to desperation, he takes 
the dose and is destroyed at once ; but those who 
smoke the drug are injured in many ways It 
may be compared to raising the wick of a lamp, 
which, while it increases the blaze, hastens the 
exhaustion of the oil and the extinction of the 
light. Hence, the youth who smoke will shorten 
their own days and cut off all hopes of posterity, 



r 



CALIFORNIA. 57 

leaving their parents and wives without any one 
on whom to depend. From the robust who 
smoke the flesh is gradually consumed and worn 
away, and the skin hangs like a bag. Their 
faces become cadaverous and black, and their 
bones naked as billets of wood. The habitual 
smokers doze for days over their pipes, without 
appetite ; when the desire for opium comes on, 
they cannot resist its impulse. Mucus flows 
from their nostrils and tears from their eyes ; 
their very bodies are rotten and putrid " 

On our way to the restaurant, which was the 
next place visited, we stopped for a few moments 
•in front of a Chinese barber-shop. Instead of 
the usual striped pole seen in front of our own 
shops, the sign displayed was very much like an 
old-fashioned umbrella-rack, made of four up- 
rights, about three feet in height, and joined 
together. The victim was .seated in a chair, in 
an upright position, and held a small tin plate, 
upon which the hair that was scraped off his 
head was placed. No lather was used, only 
water. Each customer, as he took his place in 
the chair, was presented with a pipe which 
would hold a very small portion of tobacco, suf- 
ficient for about two strong whiffs, when it 
would have to be replenished. A peculiar thing 
5 



58 WONDERLAND. 

noticed was that the hairs within the ear were 
carefully cut out, the razor used for this purpose 
being very small and delicate. 

Entering the building occupied by the res- 
taurant, we found there were three grades of 
prices. On the first floor the cheapest fare was 
served, and the absence of furniture was notice- 
able. On the second the prices advanced and 
some attempt at furnishing was made, but on the 
third floor the prices were the highest and the 
furnishings were elaborate. We sat on stools of 
solid ebony, inlaid with mother of-pearl, and 
gazed upon tapestries worked with gold thread. 
Bronzes of fine workmanship were seen in differ- 
ent parts of the room. We all ordered tea at 
twenty five cents per cup Before our order was 
served a great quantity of sweetmeats were 
brought out and placed upon the table. Corn- 
cakes, almonds, preserved watermelon, plums, 
and a variety of Chinese dainties finished the 
feast. They were equal to any of the high- 
priced delicacies of our Eastern confectioners, 
and were given free with a cup of tea. The tea 
was served in small bouillon-cups, and poured 
from them into the cups for drinking. A pot of 
hot water was placed upon the table for use in 
case any one wanted to weaken his beverage. 



CALIFORNIA. 59 

This was the last place visited on the China- 
town trip, and as the hours had commenced to 
lengthen we sought our hotels, where we spent 
some time in the bath before retiring. 

Our stay in San Francisco was necessarily- 
short, as we had determined to visit the southern- 
most points of the trip before hot weather should 
come on and render traveling uncomfortable. 

After bidding good-bye to those who had con- 
cluded to remain somewhat longer in San Fran- 
cisco, nineteen of our party met in the ferry-house 
one morning to continue the trip. We were soon 
on the ferry-boat and out in the bay. All along 
the bay-front were immense wharves, alongside 
of which were vessels of all nations receiving and 
unloading freight. In due time we arrived at 
the Oakland wharf, where we disembarked, got 
into our sleeping-cars, and commenced our jour- 
ney southward. 

We were soon out of Oakland, but for a time 
were kept busy fighting flies which had taken 
possession of our car, and had determined on a 
personal inspection of every one who entered. 
After a successful skirmish, however, the enemy 
was routed, and we settled back in our cushioned 
seats to enjoy the scenery of the San Joaquin 



6o WONDERLAND. 

Valley, which is known as the finest wheat 
district in the world. On either side of the road 
were wheat-fields and vineyards (or groves) of 
oranges, lemons, olives, apricots and figs. Wild 
flowers grow in abundance and are surpassingly 
beautiful. Neat towns, with pretty Spanish 
names, are passed frequently. In front of houses 
were hedges of calla-lilies and geraniums. It 
was no uncommon thing to see geraniums reach- 
ing to the second story of the houses. The 
blossoms were of all colors — red, pink, white and 
variegated. Roses of all hues would climb as 
high as the houses. Occasionally we would 
see a tree covered with roses, the bush having 
spread over the entire tree. Each succeeding 
view appeared more beautiful than the last, and 
it was a relief to our eyes when the curtain of 
night was let down and shut out the delightful 
panorama upon which we had looked all day. 

On awaking in the morning we ascertained 
that we had passed through the Mojave desert 
and would soon be in I,os Angeles, where we 
were to change cars and proceed farther south. 

Pulling out of lyos Angeles we were rapidly 
approaching our goal. The lands we passed 
through were not so well kept as those farther 



CAIvIFORNIA. 6l 

north, excepting where the ranches and groves 
were irrigated. 

Frequently we would pass over long trestles, 
built across sandy wastes, which we ascertained 
were the beds of rivers. In the winter and 
spring they are occupied by raging torrents, but 
now the snow had melted oflf the mountains and 
there remained nothing of the river but its sandy 
bed. 

The farther south we go the more frequently 
appear the adobe houses. At Capistrano the 
train passed near the ruins of one of the old 
Spanish missions. It is in a fair state of preser- 
vation, services being still held in the chapel. 
It was built by the Franciscan Fathers, and was 
the finest church and mission constructed by 
that order in California. Its composition is adobe 
bricks and it is covered with red tile. The 
combined action of rain and an occasional earth- 
quake has thrown down some of the walls, but 
the chapel still stands. An olive-orchard planted 
by the Monks can be seen from the car window. 
The trees are over one hundred years old and 
still bear bountifully. The Fathers have left, 
and the fields and orchards that once belonged 
to the mission are owned by other people. 



62 WONDERLAND. 

Passing Capistrano the train soon came in 
sight of the ocean and then ran along the beach 
for several miles. The waves washed almost up 
to the road-bed, and the fresh sea-breeze from 
the ocean gave additional pleasure to the trip, 
as the day had been very warm and the cars like 
ovens. 

The train soon passed through Old Town, as 
the original sight of San Diego is now known, 
and pulled into the handsome station at San 
Diego proper. Here we left the cars and took 
the 'bus for Coronado. It was but a short ride 
to the ferry that crosses San Diego Bay, the 
finest harbor south of San Francisco. It is 
entirely land-locked, and vessels of the heaviest 
draught can anchor within it. Landing at Cor- 
onado we drove through a beautiful avenue, 
lined on either side with broad-leaved palms and 
stately eucalyptus trees, giving a most beautiful 
effect. As we approached the hotel the well- 
kept lawns and flower-beds attracted our atten- 
tion. Especially interesting was a bed containing 
a great variety of cacti. There were probably 
forty varieties, from the symmetrical globe like 
plant to the gnarled and twisted member of the 
family which tried to send out branches in every 
direction. 



CALIFORNIA. 63 

The hotel is an immense building — not high, 
but covering a great deal of ground. It is built 
around an open court, where flowers of many 
varieties are growing. Tropical trees are abun- 
dant. Several fountains are continually playing, 
throwing their beautiful sprays into the warm 
sunlight and giving a cool and pleasant tempera- 
ture to the atmosphere. Several pairs of the 
plumed California quail are kept within the 
court, and may be seen at all times darting here 
and there through the flowers and shrubbery. 
An enclosed veranda faces the ocean, where, 
during stormy weather, guests ma}^ sit and 
watch the raging ocean which belies its name. 
The views from the veranda are beautiful. Out 
in the ocean are the Coronado islands. Dead 
Man's Island, so named from its resemblance to 
a man laid in his grave-clothes, is pointed out 
to every visitor. 

Point lyomo, the entrance to San Diego Bay, 
where the government has erected the highest 
light-house in the world, is plainly seen. In 
the evening we greatly enjoyed watching the 
alternate flashes of the red and white light. 

The hotel is under the management of Mr. 
E. S. Babcock, a former resident of my native 
town, located in that portion of Illinois known 



64 WONDERLAND. 

as "Egypt." While living there he was a clerk 
in one of the principal business houses of the 
town, and was a general favorite among all 
classes with whom he came in contact. 

Coronado Beach was our headquarters while 
we made excursions into the surrounding coun- 
try. Our trips usually occupied about a day, 
so that we would only be away from the hotel 
during the mid-day meal, and that, in lunch 
form, the obliging proprietor always had in 
readiness for us when we left the hotel. 

On the morning of the anniversary of the 
defeat and dethroning of Maximilian, a party 
of us made an excursion to Tia Juana, a Mexican 
town just acro.ss the border, expecting to see 
some of the national games played by the Mexi- 
cans. It was a delightful ride along the narrow 
strip of land which divided the ocean from the 
bay, and the cool winds, as they were wafted 
from either side, recompensed for the glare of 
the white sands of the beach. At National City 
we changed to a narrow-gauge road, and we 
were soon speeding toward our destination. The 
railroad passes through groves of lemon, orange 
and olive trees. On either side are many beau- 
tiful residences, embowered in forests of flowers. 
The air was laden with the perfume of the 



CALIFORNIA. 65 

blossoms of the orange and lemon trees, and 
the fragrance of the flowers could not be equaled. 
California is the home of flowers, and they grow 
in profusion wherever the ground is irrigated. 
At almost every station great quantities of 
oranges and lemons were taken on the train to 
be carried to the markets of San Diego, from 
whence they were to be shipped either to San 
Francisco or to the Eastern markets. At one 
of the stations, standing quite near the railroad, 
was a large building known as the watch-factory. 
The projectors of this enterprise made only a few 
watches and then closed down. The conductor 
informed us that the time-pieces cost on an 
average about $2,500 each, when the cost of 
the business venture was fully estimated The 
building, like many others in this part of Lower 
California, was decorated with the usual sign, 
"For Sale." 

After a ride of about two hours the train came 
to a stop alongside of a weather-beaten building, 
and the conductor called, "All out for Tia 
Juana." We alighted and followed the crowd 
across a brook which went by the name of the 
Tia Juana river. The passage was made on a 
foot-bridge, which consisted of a single plank, 
and several of the party came near toppling over 



66 WONDERLAND. 

into the water. Not twenty feet from the bridge 
were several youngsters clad only in Nature's 
garb, enjoying a mid-day bath. lyike the aver- 
age ' ' Young America ' ' these typical little Mex- 
icans seemed not the least abashed, but viewed 
our procession with an air of characteristic inno- 
cence and curiosity. Thus one gets a touch 
of Nature everywhere — provokingly obtrusive 
though it sometimes is, A little distance from 
the end of the bridge stood a couple of hacks to 
convey us to the village and return upon the 
payment of fiftv cents each. One of the drivers, 
an obliging negro, shouted at the top of his 
voice that no one in the town could speak a 
word of English, and that he would act as inter- 
preter gratis to all of his passengers. This was 
a business proposition of which we took advan- 
tage. It was a short trip over a dusty road to 
the village. On reaching it we were somewhat 
surprised to see many of the party who had 
walked from the station ready to return. There 
are not over a dozen buildings in the place, the 
principal one being occupied as the custom- 
house and post office. It is rectangular, and 
built around an open court in which also were 
the stables The building is only one story in 



CALIFORNIA. 67 

height, built of adobe, roofed with red tiles, and, 
like the others, was whitewashed. 

It being a national holiday the post-ofl5ce was 
closed, and many of the party were disappointed 
at not being able to send letters home from 
Mexico. I^ike all the residents of southern 
climes the post-master would not work on a 
holiday for anybody, and, although we offered 
him double price for postage stamps and cards, 
he would not open the office and sell them to us. 
In the room occupied by the collector of customs 
was one of the officers busily engaged in stamp- 
ing the national emblem of Mexico on cards and 
handkerchiefs that the tourists had with them. 
The only places to visit were the stores, and the 
proprietors did a flourishing business in crude 
pottery and rag figures made by the Indians. 
As the time for departure drew near our loqua- 
cious guide made his appearance from one of the 
buildings where "meschal," the national bever- 
age of the Mexicans, was sold. That he had in 
the interim been sampling the seductive fluid 
was evident. He had a number of bright Mexi- 
can dollars in his hands which he solicited us to 
purchase at the rate of one dollar and a half 
each. He did not appear at all abashed when 
we told him that we could buy them by the 



68 WONDERLAND. 

bushel in New York at the rate of sixty-five 
cents on the dollar. 
/- On our return to the station we met several 
persons selling the great Mexican dish, " fri- 
joles." It was done up in corn-husks, and had 
the appearance of hashed meat with a plentiful 
supply of thick catsup. A look was sufl&cient — 
a taste would have been fatal, we thought. As 
we crossed the bridge the U. S. custom oificer 
was there ready to seize any cigars or ' ' meschal ' ' 
that the tourists had purchased in the village. 

Before returning to San Diego we visited the 
great Sweetwater dam. It is a solid wall of 
masonry, ninety feet in height, and extends 
from one mountain to the other, across a narrow 
valley. It confines the winter flow of the Sweet- 
water river, and forms a reservoir of over seven 
hundred acres, holding enough water to supply 
a city of 50,000 inhabitants. It is from this 
reservoir that the water is supplied for the irri- 
gating of the fruit ranches in the neighborhood 
of San Diego. 

Passing through National City we had a good 
chance to see the evil eflfects of a " boom town." 
All along the road between this city and San 
Diego were houses in every stage of non-comple- 
tion, which had been abandoned and left to the 



CALIFORNIA. 69 

mercy of the elements. Rows of business houses, 
completed with the exception of the roof, were 
frequently seen. A few years ago, when southern 
California was booming, there were over twenty 
thousand people on the ground of National City. 
Now there are not over two thousand, and most 
of them would like to get away. 

Arriving at the hotel we found the corridors 
filled with a party of Raymond tourists, number- 
ing over three hundred. Among them we met 
some very pleasant people, and the acquaintance 
was kept up with many of them until our stay in 
the West was completed. It was our good for- 
tune here to meet a relative of our family who 
was spending the winter at San Diego, and we 
arranged for a trip the next day up the San Diego j 
valley to the old mission. 

The morning dawned bright and clear, as all 
mornings are in this balmy climate of southern 
California. After a hearty breakfast we boarded 
the cars which run from the hotel to the ferry, 
and were soon across the bay and at the wharf at 
San Diego, where our cousin, Mr. Lathan W. 
Jones, was waiting with a span of spirited horses 
to take us over to Oldtown and up the beautiful 
San Diego valley to the old mission, after which 
the valley was named. 



70 WONDERI^AND. 

San Diego is beautifully situated on the side of 
a gently sloping hill which faces the San Diego 
bay, the finest deep-water harbor south of San 
Francisco. Our course led us through the busi- 
ness portion of the new town, or what is now 
called San Diego. The old settlement is some 
four miles back from the city of to day. The 
streets were macadamized or laid with sheet as- 
phaltum. Cable and horse cars were going in 
every direction, but business seemed dead. The 
town was trying to recuperate from the effects of • 
a "busted boom." In 1887, when the "boom" 
was at its height, over 60,000 people were on the 
grounds, and land brought fabulous prices. The 
country for miles in every direction was staked 
out for building lots, which were readily pur- 
chased by the excited arrivals from the Eastern 
States. To-day there are not over 15,000 people 
who might be called residents of the place. 
When the collapse came everything seemed to 
fall to pieces. A magnificent building, once the 
quarters of a bank, is now used for the storage of 
baled hay. The vice-president of the concern 
had just finished a handsome brown-stone resi- 
dence, built with funds of the bank, when the 
crash came. He is now in Italy, where extra- 
dition papers cannot be served on him to bring 



CAIvIFORNIA. 71 

him back to this country. Public buildings and 
school-houses were built on a grand scale, and 
bonds floated in the East for the payment of 
them. How these bonds will be met when they 
come due is a problem that must be solved some- 
time in the future. 

The road led us around the brow of the hill 
and along the grade of an abandoned motor rail- 
road which had been built during the " boom," 
and connected the city with a small hamlet on 
False bay. The road never paid running ex- 
penses, and the rails were taken out and sold for 
old iron. We passed a number of very preten- 
tious dwellings v/hich had never been occupied 
and were rapidly going to decay. In several 
instances the roofs had fallen in and the walls 
were considerably out of plumb. 

Reaching Oldtown, which was the place se- 
lected by Father Junipero Serra in 1769 for the 
first Roman Catholic mission in what is now Cal- 
ifornia, we were attracted by the old adobe build- 
ing which was once the fort, or presidio. It, like 
most houses built in warm climates, is rectangu- 
lar in form and opens on a court within. The 
cells once occupied by the padres are rapidly 
going to decay, and are now used as stables. 
Some of the walls are about two feet in thick- 



72 WONDERLAND. 

ness. One or two of the rooms not as yet appro- 
priated for stabling purposes were covered with a 
cheap wall-paper, evidently bought from some 
of the trading vessels that used to coast along 
these shores. After a good deal of hammering 
and pulling, an old thumb latch from one of the 
doors was secured to carry away as a memento of 
the place. The building is only one story in 
height and covered with red tiling. In front ot 
the entrance is a row of pepper trees, affording a 
delightful shade, and under which the old mis- 
sionaries no doubt spent many pleasant hours. 
It was in this building that Helen Hunt Jack- 
son's " Ramona " is said to have been married. 

Not far from the presidio is the little Catholic 
chapel, in which are quite a number of antique 
paintings and statuary. In the rear, hard by, 
are two old bells taken from the ruins of the old 
mission. They are hanging on a rough scaffold, 
which corresponds with the surroundings very 
well. They were brought from Spain over a 
century ago, and have Latin inscriptions on 
them. Their tone is sweet and low, and must 
have pealed forth merrily when the marriage of 
"Ramona" was celebrated. Adjoining the 
chapel is the old burial-ground, surrounded by 
an adobe wall about four feet in height, which 



CALIFORNIA. 73- 

is covered with a roof made of red tile. There 
was a deserted look about the place, and many of 
the graves were overgrown with weeds. 

Near the presidio is the old Kanaka Hotel, 
which was the principal hostelry when San 
Diego was the centre of the hide trade for this 
part of the country. With the acquisition of 
California by the United States, the discovery of 
gold and the increased population, men drawn 
hither in search of wealth who thought that the 
Mexicans and Spaniards had no rights which 
Americans were bound to respect, and looked 
upon the herds of cattle belonging to the mis- 
sions as theirs by right of conquest, killed many 
of the cattle and appropriated them to their own 
use. The mission never recovered from this in 
road upon its resources, and from that time com- 
menced to decline. The old tannery is still 
there, but its business has sadly depreciated. 

Not far from the neglected presidio are the 
ruins of the first mission. Very little remains 
of them, even of the foundation. The site is 
guarded by two large date palm trees protected 
by a neat whitewashed picket fence. These trees 
were said to have been planted soon after the 
mission was established, and are, consequently, 
over one hundred years old. An old Mexican 
6 



74 WONDERI.AND. 

was working in the field near by and was asked 
the course we should take to find the mission. 
After giving us the information we desired, he 
cautioned us to be particular as to where we 
crossed the river, as there was a likelihood of 
being caught in the quicksands which abound in 
the rivers of this country. 

The balmy air and the perfume from the many 
flowers which grew in profusion on all sides 
made the ride a most delightful one. The beau- 
tiful saffron and the brilliant red blossoms of the 
cactus were seen on all sides. Orange, fig and 
apricot orchards were growing wherever the own- 
ers could secure water for irrigation. 

Noticing a gentleman approaching from the 
direction of our course, and thinking that he was 
a resident of the vicinity, from the fact that he 
was carrying his coat on his arm and was pro- 
ceeding along in a leisurely manner, we drew the 
reins on our horses and stopped to inquire the 
way. To our surprise we found him to be one of 
our party who had started to walk to the mis- 
sion, but was unable to cross the river and had 
turned back. We invited him to a seat in our 
carriage. 

Some distance ahead of us was a carriage 
going in the same direction as ourselves, so we 



CALIFORNIA. 75 

gave rein to our horses and were soon up to 
them. Remembering the caution of the Mexi- 
can we let them lead the way, so that in case of 
accident we would profit by their misfortune. 
We had not gone very far when their driver 
pulled to one side and got out and made some 
motions as though repairing a break in the har- 
ness, and let us pass. We were only a few rods 
ahead of them when he jumped into the carriage 
and drove after us. The ruse was successful. 
He wanted us to lead and find the quicksands so 
that he could profit by our example. 

We forded the river without accident, pro- 
ceeded up the road, and turning into a lane drove 
up to the old mission. This was the second site 
chosen by Father Junipero Serra, on account of 
an uprising of the Indians, who destroyed the 
first building at Oldtown. It is built on the 
crown of a hill overlooking the valley of the San 
Diego river. This commanding site was chosen 
to guard against future surprises from the Indi- 
ans, who were liable to rise up without warning 
and take the good missionaries and torture them 
in the most approved style of the Inquisition, 
even going so far as to crucify a couple of them. 
At one time there was a high wall surrounding 
the entire mission, but the ravages of time and 



76 WONDERLAND. 

weather have played havoc with it, and now 
only a small portion of it is standing. The 
chapel was used until quite recently, but late 
earthquakes have thrown down most of the 
walls. It has been the custom for some time 
for the sojourners at San Diego and Coronado 
to come out on excursions and use the chapel 
for a dancing-pavilion. 

Recently some sisters of the Roman Catholic 
Church, through the co-operation of Miss Drexel, 
secured sufficient money to construct a frame 
building and established a school for Indian 
children, to teach them some of the arts of civili- 
zation and instill in their minds the elements of 
the Roman Catholic faith. We were shown 
through the entire building, from the kitchen to 
the dormitories, and noticed the particular pains 
taken to keep things neat and clean. It was 
recess, and most of the children were out in the 
yard playing. There were a number of half- 
breeds among them, and one or two in particular 
had unmistakable traces of African blood in their 
veins. The pure-blooded Indians had straight, 
raven-black hair, while those mixed with Cau- 
casian blood had hair wavy and of a lighter 
shade. Those with African blood coursing in 



CAI.IFORNIA. 77 

their veins were easily distinguished by the 
unmistakable sign— kinky hair. 

At the base of the hill and along the river is 
a large olive orchard planted by the missionaries, 
and although over one hundred years old it still 
yields abundantly. The presses used by the 
padres for making the oil are there yet, but are 
idle, as there is an olive-oil factory in San Diego, 
where all the latest machinery is used, and the 
expense and labor required does not permit of 
the old methods. 

We spent over an hour wandering around the 
place, and were loth to leave, as the associations 
were of peculiar interest and kept us putting off 
the moment of departure as long as possible. 

Returning, our course led us down the valley 
and up a steep road to University Heights, where 
a pavilion had been erected and the grounds 
surrounding it laid out in flowers. In the basin 
of a fountain some of us saw for the first time 
the pink and purple water-lily. They are much 
larger than the white lily, and fully five inches 
in diameter. While waiting in the restaurant 
connected with the place several of our friends 
came in and a pleasant time was spent on the 
piazzas which overlooked the valley on one side 
and the city of San Diego on the other. This 



78 WONDERLAND. 

part of the city was laid out for the principal 
resident portion, and many pretentious dwellings 
were erected. Some are vacant, and almost every 
one is for sale. 

When returning to the carriage we killed an 
immense tarantula which was seen moving along 
on the ground between the wheels of the carriage 
and over which the ladies had stepped on enter- 
ing the conveyance. They afterwards declared 
that it caused a shudder every time they 
thought of how close they had been to the 
uncanny thing. 

As we were driving back, our attention was 
directed to a gentleman who had come here with 
the expectation of building a fine residence and 
making it his permanent home. He bought 
several lots, deposited the balance of his cash 
(some $30,000) in the bank, and started to build. 
He first completed his stable, and was getting 
ready to start the dwelling when the crash came, 
and the bank in which his money was deposited 
went with the rest. Instead of completing his 
residence he finished up a few rooms in his stable 
and made that his home. 

In time San Diego will recover from its set- 
back, but it will be a long time. It will no 
doubt continue to be a resort for people in search 



CALIFORNIA. 79 

of an equable climate, for no pleasanter nor more 
healthful place can be found in the country. 
The air seems to impart everything that the 
system requires For people having weak lungs 
a climate better adapted to their requirements 
cannot be found. ,^ 

It was with many regrets that we repacked 
our valises and trunks preparatory to departure 
from our home-like quarters at the Coronado 
Hotel. The beautiful gardens that surround it 
on all sides will long be remembered, as well 
as the wonderful collection of cacti in the "Ar- 
izona " garden. Pleasant walks along the beach 
and on the hotel piazzas, where we drank in the 
health-giving ozone, will be looked back to with 
a great deal of pleasure. The evening hours 
passed in our rocking-chairs watching the alter- 
nate flashes of the red and white light of Point 
lyomo light-house, some eight miles to the north, 
at the entrance of San Diego Bay, will often be 
recalled when the mind is at rest from the cares 
of business, and the incidents of ' ' Our Trip to 
California" are brought to memory. 

At last the day came when we were to bid 
good-bye to some of our friends and commence 
to retrace our steps. Of the nineteen of our 
party who left San Francisco and came to San 



So WONfDERLA.ND. 

Diego, only thirteen met in the waiting-room of 
the neat railroad station of the latter place. Our 
baggage having been looked after, we were soon 
on the train with our faces to the north. Out of 
San Diego and past Oldtown the train carried us 
through a country rich in romance and story, but 
prosy enough as one looked out of the car win- 
dows. Many small stations with pretty Spanish 
names were passed. At each stop our attention 
was drawn to the profusion of flowers that were 
blooming in the yards along the railroad and at 
the grounds surrounding the stations. 

At Orange we changed cars to make a circuit- 
ous trip through the district almost entirely de- 
voted to orange culture. Irrigating canals were 
seen in all directions, and the train passed 
through numerous orange groves. The golden 
fruit hanging in clusters, with a background of 
dark green, made a beautiful picture. At almost 
€very station were large packing-houses where 
the fruit was brought in, sorted, packed and 
shipped to the markets. 

Riverside is the centre of the orange market, 
and is a city whose limits cover about twenty- 
five thousand acres. The town proper has about 
three thousand inhabitants. Most of the shade 
trees are either orange or lemon. The principal 



CALIFORNIA, 8l 

Street is Magnolia avenue. It is the finest drive- 
way in southern California. For more than eight 
miles both sides are shaded with eucalyptus, 
palm or magnolia trees, while the ranches on 
either side are devoted to lemon, orange, fig or 
grape culture. Our stay in Riverside was neces- 
sarily short, as we wished to reach Los Angeles 
early in the evening. Between the two cities are 
many thriving towns, as the buildings plainly 
show, The country is fertile, and only needs 
the water that is supplied by the irrigating 
ditches to make the greatest returns. The 
southern slope of all the mountains is devoted 
to raising grapes, from which the wine and 
raisins of California are produced. 

It was after dusk when we arrived at L,os 
Angeles, "The City of the Angels." Making 
Hotel Westminster our headquarters, we began 
planning our excursions to the surrounding re- 
sorts and places of interest. 

Los Angeles, or to give it its full Spanish title. 
La Puebla de la Reina de les Angeles, literally 
the town of the Queen of the Angels, was set- 
tled in 1 78 1. It is situated on the western slope 
of the coast range of southern California, and 
protected as it is from the chilling blasts of the 
Rocky Mountains, has a climate that invites one 



8r WOKDERLAND. 

to tarry long within its bounds. The old adobe 
huts have disappeared before the brick and stone 
residences of modern times. The only thing to 
remind one of the ancient Spanish ownership is 
the old mission. It is located in that portion of 
the town which was formerly the central part, 
and faces an open plaza or park. The building 
is still in use and is in a fair state of preservation. 
The grounds surrounding it are enclosed by a 
high wall built of adobe. It is in the midst of a 
busy city, and stands as a memento of Spanish 
occupation. 

The climate of the city being semi-tropical, 
most of the tropical plants are to be seen within 
the lawns which surround the palatial residences, 
and even in the front yards of the less imposing 
dwellings. If it was a fit place for the Queen of 
the Angels in 1781, it is certainly no less inviting 
now. It is a resort for people afflicted with lung 
troubles, and many, after staying here for several 
years, are to all appearances cured. 

The city is well supplied with hotels and 
boarding-houses, and one can live remarkably 
cheap. If a person of limited means should go 
there it would be best to secure a room in a pri- 
vate family and procure meals at one of the 
many restaurants which can be found in the 



CALIFORNIA. 83 

city. Most of the hotels are kept on the Euro- 
pean plan, but our company uniformly chose the 
American plan when practicable. Hotel West- 
minster is the leading hotel of the latter class, 
and the proprietor, Mr. Johnson, is especially ac- 
commodating to all of his guests. It is centrally 
located, being not more than one square from 
any of the street-car lines which traverse the city 
in every direction. The writer has no hesitancy 
in recommending this hotel to any one who may 
peruse these pages. 

The day following our arrival was Sunday, 
and was passed as a day of rest. We attended 
church in the morning, and the afternoon was 
consumed in writing letters to distant friends. 
In the evening, while out walking, we met some 
friends who had moved from the East and were 
living in the city. They had come to California 
for their health and were so well pleased with 
the climate that they had concluded to remain 
at Los Angeles and make it their permanent 
home. 

Monday morning was spent in driving and 
visiting the several parks that belong to the city. 
The avenues are nearly all paved with sheet 
asphaltum, and are kept neat and clean. In the 
lawns and door-yards of the residences flowers 



84 WONDERLAND. 

of every description bloom in luxuriance. In 
several instances there were no fences on the 
street-line, a hedge of calla-lilies answering the 
purpose. Geraniums and other hardy plants 
were frequently made to answer the purpose of 
hedges. Eucalyptus and pepper are the principal 
shade-trees. Some of the private grounds are 
veritable fairy bowers, and seem to invite one 
to remain within their bounds. Man)^ of the 
owners have signs inviting strangers to walk in 
and enjoy what they can of the place. In order 
to get an early start in the afternoon, we 
returned to the hotel in time to get a lunch. 
A carriage having been secured, we started for 
an afternoon drive to Pasadena and through the 
San Gabriel Valley. 

Pasadena, although ten miles from I^os An- 
geles, is connected with it by an avenue about 
one hundred feet wide, and lined with groves of 
orange and lemon trees Many handsome villas, 
with their well-kept lawns, are to be seen on 
either side of the drive. Passing an orange 
grove, our driver jumped over the fence and 
brought an armload of the golden fruit to us. 
The owners never object to any one helping 
themselves, as there are frequently more oranges 
than can be gathered. As we entered Pasadena 



CALIFORNIA. 85 

the orange groves gave way to magnificent 
lawns in which are growing almost every known 
tropical and semi-tropical plant. The central 
portion of the town is well equipped with hand- 
some business houses, banks and an opera house. 
Passing through the city and out along avenues 
shaded with the stately eucalyptus trees, we 
climbed the hill to the Raymond Hotel, where 
the Raymond and Whitcomb tourists make their 
headquarters while in this section of California. 
It is situated on the top of a hill overlooking 
the entire San Gabriel Valley, and is approached 
by a winding road, both sides of which are lined 
with roses and flowers of every description. The 
season having ended, the hotel was closed when 
we arrived there, and after enjoying for a time 
the balmy air and beautiful view we drove on. 

San Gabriel is a small settlement clustered 
around one of the old missions with which 
southern California was plentifully supplied. 
The village is distinctly Mexican in appearance 
and characteristics, and each person whom we 
asked for information shook his head and gave 
us to understand that he could not speak the 
English language. Driving up to the entrance 
of the mission the driver tried the door, but it 
was locked. He then went to the priest's resi- 



86 WONDERI.AND. 

dence, which adjoins the mission, and presently 
the doors were swung open and there stood a 
little, dried-up Spanish woman, who handed us 
a small paper written in English, stating that 
no one was to be admitted for less than twenty - 
five cents. Whenever we would ask for informa- 
tion concerning the mission and the founding of 
it she would shake her head and mutter 
something in Spanish which we could not 
understand. After looking at the old pictures 
and statuary we took our places in the carriage, 
when an old cripple came up and presented a 
paper stating that he had a figure of the Virgin 
and some sacred relics in his house, and inviting 
us to come and see them. Dropping a piece 
of silver in his hand he took off his hat, and, 
making a very profound bow, repeated, " Mucha 
gracio, seiior," to which we replied "Adio," 
and drove off. 

The entire village is constructed of adobe, and 
presents a very picturesque scene. The mission 
building is in a good state of preservation, and 
services are held within its sacred walls. The 
streets are narrow, and most of the houses are 
built on the line of the street. The ruins of the 
old presidio will soon be gone, as the ground 
upon which they stand is too valuable to remain 



CALIFORNIA. 



87 



unproductive. The belfry adjoining the mission 
has a chime of four bells, and they peal out on 
the evening air the curfew which calls the faith- 




IJeU Tower, San Gal)riel Mission. 

ful to offer up their evening prayers for the dying 
day. The bells are hung in separate niches, and 
the rope is attached to the clapper of each bell. 



88 WONDERLAND. 

The mission was founded in 1804, and had al- 
most fallen into decay when a few years since it 
was restored by putting in new arches to support 
a new roof. The pepper trees, which appear to 
have been the favorite shade with the padres, are 
found at the entrance of the building. 

On our return to I,os Angeles we visited the 
San Gabriel Winery and walked through the cel- 
lars in which are stored hundreds of thousands 
of gallons of wine. One cask alone holds fifty 
thousand gallons. We were all invited to taste 
the products of the grape, and all partook ex- 
cepting the temperance contingent of the party. 
This valley, named after the patron saint of the 
mission, San Gabriel, is the best adapted to the 
wine grape culture of any in California, and the 
vineyards cover an immense area. 

Returning to the hotel, we were somewhat sur- 
prised to meet a large party of the Raymond 
excursionists whom we had left in San Diego. 
They were on their way to the Yosemite Valley, 
and were stopping for the night in Los Angeles. 

The following morning was devoted to shop- 
ping by the ladies of the party, while the gentle- 
men arranged their finances by getting drafts 
cashed and drawing upon their letters of credit. 



CALIFORNIA. 89 

It was a pleasant afternoon when our party, 
now reduced to eleven, took their seats in the 
car and were once more seeking new provinces to 
explore. We were soon rolling out of Los An- 
geles over a country which but a few years since 
was used for sheep herding, and in some places 
was a sandy waste, but which is now blooming 
with flowers and fragrant with orange blossoms. 

We followed the main line of the railroad until 
a small station named Saugus was reached, 
where we branched off and entered the fertile 
valley of Santa Clara of the South. The rail- 
road follows the river most of the way, excepting 
where the road makes a short cut across the 
valley and the river makes a long detour. On 
either side are the mountains, which rear them- 
selves high into the clouds and form natural bar- 
riers to the cold winds from the Rockies, and 
also protect the valley from the storms from the 
Pacific ocean. The clouds lay like banks of 
snow against the mountains and seemed to 
temper the air and make it cool and balmy. 

It was our fortune to meet a gentleman on 
the train who was acquainted with every point 
of interest along the road. To him we were 
very much indebted for the pleasant afternoon 
passed while riding along this beautiful valley. 
7 



90 WONDERI.AND. 

He called our attention to many points of inter- 
est, which would have been passed unnoticed had 
it not been for him. Before we reached Camu- 
los he pointed out the house described by Mrs. 
Helen Hunt Jackson as the home of " Ramona." 
The house is surrounded by a large orange 
grove, adjacent to which is a large olive orch- 
ard. The Santa Clara river flows through the 
ranch, and on its banks are clumps of willows 
and groves of wide spreading sycamores. It is 
no wonder that the scene of "Ramona" is laid 
in this beautiful valley, as it combines every ele- 
ment that could be desired for a book of the 
character of Mrs. Jackson's works. 

Leaving the scenes of "Ramona," we soon 
entei a country which reminds one of the oil 
regions of Pennsylvania, but upon a much 
smaller scale. The principal oil-wells are some 
distance from the railroad, although most of the 
large tanks are located along the road, the oil 
being piped from the wells a few miles out in 
the mountains. 

The whole valley of Santa Clara is rich and 
fertile, and will produce anything that grows 
in the way of fruits, grain and vegetables. We 
passed through one ranch where over two thou- 
sand acres were devoted to the raising of beans. 



CAUPORNIA. 91 

It would be a paradise to New Knglanders who 
wish to escape the wintry blasts from the bleak 
shores of their native clime, as here they could 
revel in their favorite dish — baked beans. At 
several stations were large warehouses in which 
beans were stored like wheat in our own country. 

At San Buenaventura, or, as the brakeman 
called it, "Ventura," the road leaves the valley 
and runs along the beach, and the green waters 
of the Pacific ocean roll up to the rock ballast 
of the road-bed. The pleasant ocean breeze was 
wafted through the cars, and, tempered by the 
balmy air from the valley, made us wish that 
we could stop and take up our abode in this 
part of California, where, according to reports, 
no one ever dies. When they wish to be trans- 
lated they move to some Eastern State and 
there lie down and die. 

It was about six o'clock when we reached 
the station at Santa Barbara. A short ride in 
the omnibus took us to the Arlington Hotel, 
where we were shown our rooms, and after 
changing our dusty linen for some fresh and 
clean we were ready for the dinner which was 
prepared for us. After partaking of the evening 
meal those of us who felt like it went out for 
a walk through the resident portion of the place. 



92 WONDERIvAND. 

Like all cities of southern California, tropical 
plants of every description were growing in the 
lawns and front yards of every dwelling. In 
the lawn surrounding the hotel was a large rose- 
bush reaching to the top of the four-story annex 
of the hotel. There must have been a wagon- 
load of roses on it. It covered a tree which grew 
near the piazza, and gave it the appearance of 
an immense mound of roses. 

In the morning, after visiting most of the 
novelty stores, including those kept by the Chi- 
nese, we took a street-car and rode to the old 
mission at the foot-hills of the Santa Ynez Moun- 
tains, some two or three miles back from the 
present city of Santa Barbara. After riding as 
far as the cars went, we had to walk about a 
mile before reaching the object of our visit. 

The mission of Santa Barbara is without doubt 
the best preserved of the many missions estab- 
lished along the coast of California, reaching 
from San Francisco on the north to the Mexican 
boundary on the south. The date of the found- 
ing of the mission is December 4th, 1786, 
although Father Junipero Serra had established 
a sort of military post on the same site some two 
years previous. It was on the day of the cele- 
bration of the feast of Santa Barbara that the 



CALIFORNIA. 93 

mission was founded and the cross raised. Like 
all the missions established in this part of the 
country, it received grants from Spain of all the 
best land in the vicinity, and by trading with 
the vessels that cruised along this coast in after 
years became very wealthy. Its greatest pros- 
perity was reached in 1812, when the government 
of Spain, becoming impoverished by its excesses, 
commenced making demands upon the wealthy 
missions of this coast, and Santa Barbara was 
not missed. It then commenced to decline. The 
withdrawal of the protection of the military by 
the Mexican government hastened the downfall 
of this particular mission. 

At the entrance to the plaza in front of the 
mission is the old fountain erected by the Fran- 
ciscan Fathers during the palmy days of their 
existence. The front of the building once occu- 
pied by the Fathers is ornamented with a row 
of columns surmounted by arches which extend 
the whole length of the building. Back of the 
pillars is an open corridor with flag flooring. 
We mounted the steps and were soon within 
the cool shade, and seating ourselves upon the 
wooden benches that were placed along the wall 
we looked far out on the mild Pacific ocean, and 
then at the town of Santa Barbara at our feet. 



94 WONDERLAND. 

We walked through the corridor to the entrance 
of the church, and, pushing open the ponderous 
oaken doors, entered. After walking up and 
down the aisles and looking at pictures, all of 
which were painted by Indians, we returned to 
the corridor. Going to one of the doors we 
pulled the bell, which was answered by an old 
monk dressed in hassock and cowl, who invited 
us into the reception-room, where we were 
requested to register our names. The monk 
refuted with some emphasis the implication that 
he was a Mexican. He said that there were 
none of them in the building. We were unable 
to go through the compartments and look into 
the cells, as the rest of the monks were at their 
devotions and could not be disturbed. After 
trying to get some information as to the sur- 
roundings and history of the place we returned 
to the city. We had intended going to see the 
mammoth grape-vine, but on account of a mis- 
understanding as to the time ot starting, the visit 
was deferred. 

The return to Los Angeles was without inci- 
dent, excepting that we stopped for luncheon at 
one of the restaurants and bought some sand- 
wiches which we were unable to eat. But this 
was not owing to poor appetites, as each member 



CALIFORNIA. 95 

of our party can testify to. At Saugus our com- 
pany was further decreased by three, who left the 
train and proceeded to San Francisco, while we 
returned to Los Angeles. 

It was quite late in the evening when we ar- 
rived at lyOS Angeles, and upon reaching the 
hotel were somewhat surprised to meet three of 
our party whom we had left in San Francisco in 
the early part of the month. They had visited a 
number of the points of interest in and around 
the latter city, and were now commencing on the 
resorts in the southern part of the State. As 
they were to return East by one of the southern 
routes, it was necessary that they should visit 
the points of interest in the upper part of the 
State before coming south. Having several days 
to remain in the vicinity of Los Angeles we in- 
vited them to join our party, which they did. 
The evening was pleasantly spent in relating 
experiences which had happened since we had 
separated. Nearly every one had from one to 
three stories to relate, and the consequence was 
that it was very late before we retired. 

Having decided to visit Redondo Beach the 
next morning, all were ready at an early hour to 
take the first train leaving Los Angeles for the 
beach. We were all at the station some time 



96 WONDERLAND. 

before the train was ready to start, and the gate- 
man very kindly allowed us to get into the cars 
in order that we might escape the jam that al- 
ways occurs at the gates. 

The country through which we passed was a 
succession of orange groves and orchards, and 
occasionally a long strip of uncultivated country. 
At many of the stations were the packing-houses 
for oranges, and wherever we stopped the oranges 
were free and we helped ourselves most industri- 
ously. 

Arriving at Redondo Beach we proceeded at 
once to the hotel, the principal building in the 
place. It is built upon the bluff and overlooks 
the entire bay. It is a new house, and is fur- 
nished completely with all the modern con- 
veniences. While we were waiting for our lunch 
the manager showed us through the building and 
took us into the ball-room, which was very pret- 
tily decorated with flags and tropical plants. 
The furniture of all the bed-rooms was new, and 
had Redondo consisted of anything but a few 
houses and the hotel we should have been 
tempted to remain there a few days to breathe in 
the health-giving air which came uncontami- 
nated from the ocean. In front of the hotel, and 
reaching to the plaza at the foot of the blufif, 



CALIFORNIA. 97 

were numerous beds of flowers of every variety, 
blooming in luxuriance. Back of the hotel was 
the menagerie, at this time containing only a 
playful bear. As there was some time to spare 
before luncheon was served, it was employed in 
walking along the beach and visiting the bath- 
ing grounds. The bath-houses have been erected 
so that they will not obstruct the view from the 
piazzas, which extend along the entire front of 
the hotel. The bay is a beautiful sheet of water, 
though at this time there was considerable sea- 
weed floating on its surface. The temperature of 
the water being quite low, none of us were 
tempted to take a "plunge." 

After lunch, and before train-time, we amused 
ourselves hunting up souvenirs and watching the 
youngsters fishing on the pier adjoining the rail- 
road station. One of the employes connected 
with the pier had captured a small seal and 
placed it in a tank on the pier. A windmill had 
been erected and was kept going constantly, 
pumping water from the bay into the tank. 
The seal had become quite tame and would 
come to the surface when called. He went by 
the name of "Jack," and was quite playful. 
The boys would bring him fish occasionally. 



98 WONDERI.AND. 

which he would devour with the greatest satis- 
faction. 

Returning to Los Angeles, which we reached 
early in the afternoon, we ascertained that we 
could easily make the trip to Santa Monica 
before supper-time. We did not have to wait 
very long before the train started, and we were 
once more passing through orange groves, orch- 
ards and vineyards, and past pretty stations 
which seemed almost embowered in flowers. It 
was early in the evening when the train pulled 
into the station at Santa Monica, and it was 
only a short drive to the hotel, built upon a 
blufi" overlooking the beautiful bay of Santa 
Monica. Our rooms were on the bay side, and 
the constant splash and moan of the waves dis- 
turbed us somewhat, but before midnight we 
had become used to it and enjoyed a pleasant 
sleep. Like all hotels in this part of the country 
the grounds surrounding it were tastefully laid 
ofif in lawns and flower-beds, and at each meal 
a fresh bouquet was placed on our table. 

At breakfast it was decided to visit the ostrich 
farm, some two or three miles from the hotel. 
The most direct communication being by horse- 
car, we all boarded one that passed the door. 
The ride was a pleasant one, the open cars 



CAI.IFORNIA. 99 

enabling us to drink in the balmy air, tempered 
as it was with a slight breeze from the bay. 
Every breath seemed to give a new lease on life, 
and the ride was over before we could fully 
realize it. 

Arriving at the farm, which is enclosed with 
a high board-fence, the keeper met us at the 
gate and admitted us to the enclosure. Of course 
our attention was first given to the ostriches, of 
which there must have been at least three dozen 
inside the pens. They are ungainly birds, but 
very curious to observe and study. At our 
request the keeper gave them something to eat, 
which consisted of cabbage or cauliflower cut 
into small pieces. They would gather into their 
mouths a mass about as large as a man's fist 
and then swallow it. This big lump would 
move slowly down the long neck of the ostrich 
until it would disappear in the body. They 
were especially fond of bright things, and several 
of our party came near losing watch-charms and 
ear-rings, which the big birds would snap at. 
There is a store connected with the farm, where 
feathers, fans and eggs can be bought. Some of 
the party invested quite heavily in feathers and 
fans. In addition to the ostriches there is quite 
a menagerie connected with the place. There 



lOO WONDERIyAND. 

are a number of monkeys, badgers, bears, par- 
rots, and one wildcat. The keeper informed us 
that there was at one time a great many more 
ostriches on the farm, but they had been scat- 
tered around at a number of resorts where they 
were placed on exhibition, as that paid a great 
deal better than the feathers alone. All eggs are 
hatched in an incubator at one of the ranches 
in the interior of the State, where the young 
birds are kept until they are able to withstand 
the damp winds that sometimes come from the 
ocean. After remaining some time — probably 
two hours — within the enclosure, we again 
boarded a street car and returned to the hotel. 
Having plenty of time to spare before lunch, 
we went shopping and returned with our arms 
and hands full of souvenirs and curiosities. 
There being six ladies in the party, one can 
readily imagine how long it took to purchase 
these packages. On our return to the hotel we 
walked along the ocean-drive, a beautiful avenue 
which runs along the bluff overlooking the bay. 
On the side adjoining the cliflf are magnificent 
groves of eucalyptus and other tropical trees, 
while scattered here and there are small pavilions 
and also a large stand where the band from the 
Soldiers' Home plays on certain evenings. On 



CALIFORNIA. lOI 

the Opposite side of the avenue are the residences 
of the wealthy inhabitants of the town. 

Noticing a great number of old men in vet- 
erans' clothes, we ascertained that the California 
Soldiers' Home was located about three miles 
from the city, and we concluded to visit it during 
the afternoon. 

After dinner we secured a carriage and started 
for the Santa Monica canon. It was a pleasant 
drive through avenues of eucalyptus trees and 
past fields ripe with waving grain waiting for the 
reapers to harvest. Going out past the Soldiers' 
Home and up a road which led through an im- 
mense wheat-field we soon reached one of the 
entrances to the canon. Driving down the steep 
road into the valley we were soon in a romantic 
glen, with almost impenetrable thickets of flow- 
ers on either side of the narrow road. A little 
further up was an opening and the small cabin of 
a sheep-herder. There was no one at home, as 
the occupant had driven his flock further up the 
canon, and it was too early to return for the 
night. We drove several miles further up the 
canon, but found that we would not be able to 
reach the finest part of it and return in time to 
catch the last train for Los Angeles, so we 
turned about and started back. As we passed 



I02 WONDERLAND. 

along we gathered several large bouquets and 
carried them to the station to take away with us. 
Upon going to the hotel and settling our bills we 
were presented by the proprietor's wife with a 
large bouquet which she had plucked from an 
immense rose-bush that grew at the edge of the 
piazza. 

We very much desired to remain longer at this 
resort, but our time was getting short, and we 
felt impelled to make our way to San Francisco 
in order to secure passage with some friends who 
had determined upon taking the trip to Alaska 
before returning to the East. By the time the 
train was made up we were in our places facing 
towards Los Angeles. 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 1 03 

Chapter HI. 

yOSEMIfPE UALLEY. 

Tt was Friday afternoon when we returned to 
L,os Angeles for the last time. After a confer- 
ence with the remaining members of our party it 
was decided to remain in the city until Monday 
afternoon, when we would start for the Yosemite 
Valley. Our party had now dwindled to eight, 
and it seemed probable that we should keep to- 
gether, Saturday was spent in revisiting the 
pleasure-grounds and parks of the city and pur- 
chasing souvenirs. While engaged in the latter 
occupation we were most agreeably surprised to 
meet one of the chaperons of the Pennsylvania 
railroad who had made the trip overland with us. 
She was to remain in southern California much 
longer than we could, and in all likelihood would 
spend the entire summer on the Pacific coast 
Sunday was passed as a day of rest, and we en- 
joyed every minute of it. In the evening some 
friends came in and made us the last calls and 
gave us messages to carry to their friends in the 
Kast. 

Monday was a busy day. The morning was 



I04 WONDERLAND. 

devoted to repacking our trunks and securing 
tickets for sleeping car berths and seats in the 
stages going into the Yosemite Valley. They 
had all been ordered Friday evening, but it was 
uncertain that we could secure Pullman accom- 
modations on account of the great number of 
delegates going to a Democratic State convention 
to be held at Fresno, a station some distance up 
the road. 

Having bade good-bye to those of our party 
who were to go further south, and a number of 
friends who had called upon us, we were ready 
to start. At two o'clock in the afternoon v/e 
were all seated in the Pullman car waiting for 
the train to pull out of the station. The train 
was a very heavy one, there being twelve cars 
attached to the engine Six of them were sleep- 
ing-cars and the balance were either day-coaches 
or heavily loaded baggage-cars. We moved 
slowly out of the station, but were soon out- 
side the city limits and going at a fair rate of 
speed lyooking out of the car windows we 
bade farewell to Los Angeles, the "City of the 
Angels," and wondered if it would be our pleas- 
ure once more to visit its blooming gardens and 
pleasant drives, and to mingle with scenes and 
associations that had become very dear to us. 



YOSEMITE VAI^LEY. 105 

We next entered the San Fernando Valley 
and passed through orange groves and olive 
orchards almost innumerable. Soon we noticed 
the train beginning to slacken its speed, and it 
was evident that we were ascending a grade. 
We climbed the San Fernando Mountains until 
we reached the tunnel, where as we entered we 
took the last look at the fertile fields and groves 
of the San Fernando Valley, The train, having 
passed the highest point, now began the descent, 
and our speed was perceptibly increased. At 
Saugus the cars, filled with passengers for 
Santa Barbara, were switched off and another 
Pullman sleeper loaded with Raymond excur- 
sionists was taken on. We followed the course 
of the Santa Clara river for quite a distance, 
until we entered the Soledad Pass. 

Emerging from the Soledad Pass we entered 
the Mojave Desert. Having heard so much 
about the giant cactus or Yucca palm, which 
grows to a great height in this desert, the pros- 
pect on entering was more pleasing than when 
we crossed the desert from Ogden to the Hum- 
boldt Sinks in Nevada. These cacti grow to 
the size of trees, and with their club-like limbs, 
devoid of leaves, remind one of an immense 
forest recently swept with fire. An English 



I05 WONDERLAND. 

company started a plant to manufacture paper 
from the fibre of this palm. The experiment 
had not been a success financially, and the plant 
was abandoned. Another interesting feature 
was the buttes which rise from the desert on 
all sides. They are isolated hills, varying from 
two hundred to five hundred feet in height. 
Their sides are cut and grooved as if torrents 
of water had rushed down them. Unbidding 
as it seemed to us, there were yet several small 
villages and towns scattered along the line of 
the road. What they were there for, or what 
could induce any one to settle in this country, 
is hard to determine. The water which they use 
must be brought in pipes or ditches from the 
mountains, miles distant. Some of the homes 
looked cheerful and inviting, but it will probably 
never be known why men settle in a country 
where it never rains and where the storms are 
sand-clouds. We passed Mojave and commenced 
the ascent of another range of mountains. As it 
was night, we were unable to see the loop of the 
Tehachapi Pass, where the road in making the 
descent of the mountains runs under its own 
tracks. 

Most of the passengers in our car were dele- 
gates to the convention, and no sooner had the 



YOSEMITE VAIvIvEY. I07 

train left Los Angeles than they settled down for 
a good time. The porter brought in tables, and 
soon several games of poker were progressing 
finely. The stakes were not high, as they played 
what they told me was ' ' a quarter limit. ' ' They 
had a plentiful supply of wine and beer in the 
smoking-room, and the porter was kept busy car- 
rying cold beer and wine from the ice-chest to 
the players. Notwithstanding the lively absorp- 
tion of liquors, none of the men became intoxi- 
cated. 

In addition to the delegates there were two 
ladies going to Marysville, a city some distance 
north of San Francisco, on the road to Portland, 
One of them was the mother of two very inter- 
esting little children, who accompanied her. The 
children, a boy and a girl, took a great fancy to 
the writer, and persisted in destroying several 
beautiful bouquets in order that they might 
decorate him to their fancy. They wove wreaths 
for his hair, decorated his face with flowers, and 
in other ways amused themselves at his expense. 
They were especially bright children, and it was 
a pleasure to have them around. At first the 
mother was fearful that their actions might seem 
rude, but soon both she and her sister offered 
some suggestions as to the manner of placing 



I08 WONDERI.AND, 

the flowers in order to bring out the best eflfect. 
It was one of the most enjoyable afternoons 
spent while on the trip, and v/hen the little tots 
retired for the night they expressed a reluctant 
good-bye and gave their willing subject a cordial 
invitation to stop off at their home and pay them 
a visit. We retired early, as we were expecting 
to be called at three o'clock in order to change 
cars at Berenda and proceed to the Yosemite 
Valley. 

We were all soundly sleeping when, at mid- 
night, the train came to a sudden standstill and 
almost threw us out of our berths. The dele- 
gates, however, slept soundly through it, as none 
of their heads were sticking out from the cur- 
tains of the berths wanting to know what had 
happened. When the porter came through the 
car we ascertained that the engine had broken 
down and it was a matter of conjecture as to 
when we would start. We were jerked about for 
a considerable time, but the engine was unable 
to pull the train, and a brakeman was sent back 
nine miles to the first station to telegraph for an- 
other engine. We tried to sleep, but the engine 
kept up a continual puffing and snorting until 
finally it was decided to send our disabled engine 
ahead with the baggage-cars and leave the pas- 



YOSKMITE VALLEY. IO9 

sengers to be brought along by the extra, which 
would arrive some time later. We then dozed off 
and slept until the gray streaks of dawn had 
made their appearance above the mountains. 

Going out on the platform, it was ascertained 
that we were in one of those valleys of southern 
California where not a tree of any sort can be 
seen except around the homes of the farmers 
who have brought them from some nursery and 
kept them alive by irrigation. Not far from the 
railroad was a large irrigating ditch which sup- 
plied the adjacent ranches. The water was 
brought from some reservoir up in the moun- 
tains, where the melting snow was stored and 
then distributed by the canals to the ranches 
along its course. 

It was not long before the delegates began to 
appear, and the time that elapsed before the arri- 
val of the extra engine was pleasantly spent in 
cracking jokes — several facetious individuals re- 
marking that the presence of so many Democrats 
was enough to "hoodoo" anything. When the 
engine arrived we were eight hours behind time. 
It was not long before we were flying up the 
valley, and going at a rate of speed that showed 
that the engineer was trying to make up for the 
delay. 



I lO WONDERIvAND. 

For the want of something more interesting 
we employed our time in watching for ground- 
squirrels and owls. They live together under- 
ground, and at almost every mound which sur- 
rounds the openings to their habitations one or 
two of these little open-faced birds were to be 
seen. They had the appearance of being asleep, 
and did not notice the train as we rushed by. 
The squirrels were frequently seen sitting upon 
their haunches on the tops of the little mounds, 
but upon the approach of the train they would 
disappear in an >instant. They did not venture 
far from cover while in search of their morning 
meals on account of the numerous hawks which 
were hovering around ready to swoop down upon 
the little creatures and devour them. 

It was about noon when we arrived at Ber- 
enda, where we changed cars and took a branch 
road up to Raymond, where we were to take the 
stages for a steady ride of a day and a half before 
we would reach the head of the Yosemite Valley. 

At Raymond we halted only long enough to 
eat a fairly good dinner, when eight stages drove 
up to the door and we took our places in the 
seats assigned us before leaving L,os Angeles. 
Our stage was the last to drive up and was of 
the old Concord pattern. Instead of springs 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. HI 

there were strips of leather bound together, 
reaching from the trunk-boot to the driver's box, 
which gave the body of the coach a rocking 
motion when the first shock of striking an 
obstruction was over. The writer, acting upon 
the suggestion of a friend, had secured a seat 
in the box with the driver, and we started oflf 
with high expectations. Our coach was in 
charge of Ed. Crawford, a veteran stage-driver, 
and it was a pleasure to see him handle the 
"ribbons" and guide the leaders around the 
sharp turns in the road. He was a little 
reserved at first, but upon being drawn out 
became quite talkative, and his fund of anecdotes 
made the ride very pleasant, The whip handle 
used by him was silver-mounted, and had been 
presented him by one of his admiring friends. 

He called our attention to a number of trees 
which had the appearance of having been used 
for targets, as the bark was punctured with holes 
about the size of a bullet. He told us that the 
woodpeckers had drilled holes in the bark and 
filled them with acorns for winter's use. A pair 
of these birds v/ould take possession of a tree, 
and after they had laid in their winter's supply 
of acorns would sit in the branches and guard 



112 WONDERLAND. 

them with the greatest of care and fight viciously 
to defend their possessions. ■ " 

The first part of the ride was something new, 
and we did not mind the jerks and jars to which 
we were subjected, always hoping, however, 
that the one just passed would be the last. The 
road winds around the hills and mountains, and 
frequently the gentlemen and many of the ladies 
would get out to gather flowers and take a short 
cut up the hill and reach a turn in the road long 
before the stages would come up. It gave them 
a chance to rest themselves from the sitting 
position and also relieved the horses of consid- 
erable weight to drag up the hills. On all sides 
in the open patches were flowers in great pro- 
fusion, representing all colors of the rainbow, 
but the most beautiful of all was the Mariposa 
lily. It is a delicate flower, and the three leaves 
strongly resemble the butterfly, from whence it 
derives its name — " Mariposa " being the Span- 
ish for butterfly. 

When we started from Raymond the roads 
were in fair condition, but after a couple of 
hours we struck the mountain roads, which were 
very rough, and on account of the recent rains 
were full of chuck holes. Our driver exercised 
as much care as possible, but those inside of the 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. II3 

coach received such a shaking up as they wish 
never to experience again. 

In the middle of the afternoon we met a large 
party of Raymond excursionists. They were 
returning from the valley and were very enthu- 
siastic over the scenery. 

At every relay of horses the occupants of each 
stage would get down from their places and 
spread the blankets and robes on the ground 
and thus rest themselves for a few moments. 
There was a scarcity of cold water, and at 
several places refreshment stands were in opera- 
tion. The signs displayed invariably told of 
"Ice-cold limonade," &c., but when one came 
to purchase, the drinks were warm and the price 
was " two bits," or twenty five cents each. 

Each relay had its name, but the one most 
remarkable was "Grub Gulch." It was an 
abandoned mining camp, and at this time there 
were only a few shanties and a large building 
which served as hotel, store, saloon and post- 
office. The hills and valleys were covered with 
holes dug by prospectors in search of gold. 
There was an abandoned quartz- mill near the 
shaft of a mine also abandoned. The small 
amount of gold secured did not pay for the labor, 
and these holes and the old mill are all that now 



114 WONDERLAND. 

show that gold was once sought for in this 
region. 

It was supper-time when we arrived at Grant's 
— the dinner-station. There was a well cooked 
meal awaiting us, which we ate with as much 
haste as was conducive to good digestion in 
order that we might get as far on the road as 
possible before nightfall, as we had six full 
hours to ride before reaching Wawona, the 
supper-station, where we would remain over 
night. 

By the time we were ready to start we had 
become very well acquainted with many of the 
party, which added much to the enjoyment of 
the trip. The roads were getting rougher, and 
it was almost impossible to keep one's seat. 
When we had a steep road we were glad to get 
out and walk until the summit was reached, in 
order to rest and take in some of the magnificent 
views that were to be seen at every turn. 

We had not proceeded very far when the 
shades of night began to close around us, and 
the reflectors at the head of the stages were all 
lighted. They were of little use, however, as 
they had not been cleaned for so long that the 
intelligent horses on the lead could get along as 
well without them. It was after nine o'clock. 



YOSEMITE VALLEY II5 

when everything was quiet and some of us were 
trying to do a little dozing between jolts, that 
we were roused from our lethargy by a series 
of ear-splitting yells which resounded over the 
mountains and valleys. These were answered by 
others of similar character far up the mountain. 
We all wanted to know what it meant, and 
imagined all sorts of horrible things about 
stage-robbers and wild Indians. Crawford merely 
laughed and told us that the driver of the lead- 
ing stage was calling to the men at the relay to 
have the horses ready when we arrived. 

While we were waiting for the change to be 
made, our stage being the last to arrive and 
consequently the last to be attended to, we 
employed the time in examining one of the 
large trees which grew near the stable. It was 
at least ten feet in diameter, and there was not 
a branch to mar its symmetry for over one 
hundred feet from the ground We were all 
glad to hear Crawford call "All aboard," and 
soon were occupying our places. Cracking his 
whip, the four horses started off at a lively rate, 
and soon we were lost in the gloom of the forest. 
The stage-drivers kept up a constant calling to 
each other in order not to get too far separated, 



Il6 WONDERLAND. 

SO that iu case of accident aid would be near 
at hand. 

The roads seemed to get worse, and at every 
opportunity we would get out and walk. Climb- 
ing those hills was tiresome, but it was much 
more pleasant to walk than to ride. 

It was half-past one o'clock in the morning 
when our stage drove up to Major Washburn's 
hotel at Wawona, and we got out and registered 
our names. It was fully half an hour before 
we were shown to our rooms. Three hours of 
disturbed rest followed, when we were called in 
order to get an early start and reach the head 
of the Yosemite Valley by noon. 

When our party assembled we found one who 
was unable to continue the trip. The shaking- 
up she had received and the tiresome night-ride 
had so exhausted her already delicate constitu- 
tion that it would have been dangerous to have 
taken her further into the valley. Major Wash- 
burn's family very kindly oflfered to take the 
best care of her and try to have her in a condi- 
tion to go out of the valley upon our return. 
We bade her good-bye and started off. Before 
proceeding many miles we all wished ourselves 
back at Wawona, and even out of the valley. 
The road became nothing but a series of chuck- 



YOSEMITE VALLEY 1 1? 

holes, and the continued jolting we received 
kept all busy trying to keep on the seats. Our 
driver, between jolts, gave us a history of the 
discovery of the Yosemite. In the spring of 
185 1, Captain Boling, with a company of sol- 
diers, while in pursuit of a band of marauding 
Indians who had retreated into these mountain 
fastnesses (considering it inaccessible to the 
whites), was the first white man to behold its 
sublimity and grandeur. The company had 
many narrow escapes from the savages, but 
finally, after subduing them, returned to civili- 
zation. It was the unanimous opinion of our 
party, after the rough ride of the past two days, 
that it was a pity the whole company had not 
been shot and scalped before they could have 
returned and reported their discovery to a 
gullible public. We changed our minds, how- 
ever, before we left the valley. 

The scenery was grand. At every turn of the 
road a new and wonderful view greeted our 
vision. Rounding some points the views that 
would burst upon us were beyond the power of 
description. In the foreground would be the tall 
and stately sugar-pine trees, from one to three 
feet in diameter, whose symmetrical trunks 
would tower from one hundred to one hundred 



118 WONDERLAND. 

and fifty feet above us before a single shoot or 
branch would appear ; then down into the valley 
and on the other side were the tall peaks, 
with their rugged sides, and in some cases their 
summits covered with snow. The air was so 
clear and the distance so deceiving that the 
driver asked us how far we supposed those moun- 
tains were from us ; the most of us guessed three 
or four miles, but he only laughed and said, 
" Well, I would not want to walk it for less than 
eight miles " 

The roads in some places were in a fearful con- 
dition, and at one turn we all had to get out and 
walk up the mountain a short distance to relieve 
the horses, so that they could pull through a 
stretch of sticky clay, which had about the same 
tenacity as the blue and black mud of southern 
Illinois. Why roads should be allowed to remain 
in that condition in a country where stones are 
so plentiful as here cannot be understood, unless 
it is that the proprietors of the turnpike do not 
want to spend any money upon it, knowing that 
if people wish to come into the valley this is the 
shortest way. 

Our first view of the Yosemite Valley proper 
was obtained when we rounded Inspiration 
Point. Here the stages all stopped and gave 



YOSEMITE VALLEY, IIQ 

US an opportunity to get out and have a good 
look up and down the valley. The fifteen min- 
utes which we stood there, feasting our wonder- 
ing eyes upon the valley, and the peaks and 
domes that surround it, were too short, and it 
was with some reluctance that we returned to the 
stages and drove on. El Capitan, standing out 
like an immense fortress, was the first to greet 
our wondering eyes. It stands there with almost 
perpendicular sides, 3,300 feet above the level of 
the valley. It is granite, and does not have that 
dirty, rusty appearance of the other mountains 
over which we had just passed. Turning a little 
to the right we beheld a beautiful waterfall, which 
many of us took to be the Yosemite, but the 
driver soon corrected our mistake by telling us 
that it was the Bridal Veil Falls, and that we 
would not see the Yosemite Falls until we 
reached the floor of the valley and had pro- 
ceeded quite a distance toward the head of it. 
The horses having been given a breathing 
spell, we were called to our seats in the 
stage, when the driver cracked his whip and off 
the four horses started on a gallop. The road 
from Inspiration Point to the floor of the valley 
is zigzag, and frequently the stages that had 
started ahead of us were seen on the ledge below, 



I20 WONDERLAND. 

apparently going in the opposite direction from 
that which our horses' heads indicated. In some 
places only a foot or two of rock intervened be- 
tween us and certain destruction. Had the 
driver been less steady in guiding his leaders 
we should have been thrown over the precipice 
into the valley thousands of feet below. The 
least miscalculation would have been quite an 
item to the life insurance companies that had 
risks on several members of our party. As it 
was, a few of them became somewhat nervous as 
the four horses would gallop around some of the 
sharp turns in the road without the least diminu- 
tion of speed. They would all unconsciously 
hug the side of the stage farthest from the edge 
of the precipice and give a sigh of relief when 
the straight road was reached. 

Arriving at the level of the valley the road led 
us quite near the Bridal Veil Falls, and the 
driver drew rein to give us a chance to watch 
the water as it came plunging over the precipice 
some six hundred feet above. The mist arose in 
great clouds and was wafted first in one direction 
and then in another by the wind that continually 
blows at the foot of the falls. On the opposite 
side of the valley is another falls with the 
name of the Maiden's Tears. She is said to be 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 121 

weeping on account of not being able to get the 
bridal veil. 




The Three Brothers. 

Near the Bridal Veil Falls are a series ot peaks 
sometimes called the Three Graces, but more 
9 



122 WONDERLAND. 

frequently the Three Sisters (companions of the 
Three Brothers, which stand on the opposite 
side of the valley). Near the former are the 
Cathedral Rocks, which stand out prominently 
against the sky, and as we passed on the Cathe- 
dral Spires came into view. They are two 
majestic columns which rise in close proximity 
to each other, several hundred feet above the 
mountain upon which they stand, and the name 
given them is not at all inappropriate. One of 
the spires has a large piece broken off, giving 
it an odd appearance. The piece detached was 
thrown down several years ago during a severe 
earthquake which visited southern California. 

At last the mighty roar of the Yosemite fell 
upon our ears, and looking across the valley we 
beheld the object of our trip. As we drove on 
the roar became like the roar of distant thunder, 
approaching nearer and nearer as we advanced. 

Driving up to the Stoneman House and going 
to register our names we encountered a hotel 
clerk who was so sublimely impudent as to merit 
passing notice here. So arrogant was he that 
our party would have left and taken quarters 
elsewhere had it been possible to do so. This 
self-important individual was the son of the 
proprietor of the hotel, Mr. Cook (who, by the 



YOSEMITB VALLHY. 1 23 

way, was very unlike the young man), and was 
manager of the stage line when not engaged in 
making himself generally obnoxious in his 
capacity as clerk. We had occasion to severely 
speak our minds to him on more than one occa- 
sion before leaving, and it was only after threat- 
ening him that we were able to secure seats in 
the stage leaving the day we desired. He 
assigned us the worst places, and tried to put 
us to as much inconvenience as possible by 
attempting to separate our party. It was evi- 
dent that he was provoked because we would 
not stay and help eat the spoiled meats and 
poorly-cooked vegetables that were served to his 
guests. 

After we had reluctantly partaken of a meal 
of putrid meats and chicken broth, with some 
poorly-cooked beans, two of us started to walk 
to the Yosemite Falls. It was a pleasant stroll 
of a couple of miles. We followed the wagon - 
trail for some distance and than cut across the 
meadow-land and followed up the Yosemite 
creek, which is fed by the waters from the falls 
and empties into the Merced river. The force 
of the water striking the rocks at the foot of the 
lower falls drove clouds of mist and spray from 
the canon as if forced out by a hurricane. It 



124 WONDERLAND. 

was like facing a driving rain-storm to get where 
we could secure a good view of the falls, and 
we had to give it up. Our clothes were soaking 
wet, and we retired somewhat discomfited at not 
being able to accomplish our desire. The roar 
of the falling waters is something awful, and 
can be heard in almost every portion of the 
valley. The falls are on the northern wall of 
the valley, and are seen from the verandas of 
both hotels. They are said to be the grandest 
and most sublime waterfalls in the world. The 
distance from where the waters take their first 
plunge until they reach the Merced river is about 
2,550 feet. There are, however, three distinct 
falls — the upper, middle and lower The dis- 
tance from the brink of the upper falls to the 
middle is an unbroken plunge of about 1,500 
feet. It is said that there is no other waterfall 
yet discovered carrying so great a volume of 
water from such a height. The middle por- 
tion is a series of cascades with a descent of 625 
feet, and the lower fall is another direct plunge 
of 400 feet. As we were in the valley early in 
the season, the volume of water coming over the 
precipice was enormous. As the snow gradually 
melts and is cariied off the amount of water be- 
comes appreciably less, and during the latter part 



YOSEMITE VAI.I.EY. 1 25 

of the season it is said that one can approach 
quite near the falls and with safety pass under 
the upper fall. 

In returning to the hotel we walked along the 
banks of the beautiful Merced river. The water 
was as clear as crystal, and occasionally a trout 
was seen darting here and there among the rocks, 
or basking in the sunshine. We passed several 
Indian huts and noticed a number of peculiar- 
looking objects about the size of flour barrels, 
made of boughs and stuck upon poles about ten 
feet above the ground. We afterwards ascer- 
tained that they were a kind of a "cache" in 
which the Indians kept their winter supply of 
acorns. Arriving at the hotel, some of our party 
who had not been informed of our whereabouts 
were worried for fear that we had climbed one of 
the trails that lead up the different mountains 
and were unable to retrace our steps. 

Sitting on the verandas we could see most of 
prominent peaks in the valley. The hotel stands 
almost at the base of the mountain upon which 
Glacier Point is located. There is a hotel there, 
and in the .evening the proprietor entertained the 
guests of the Stoneman House by a primitive 
display of fireworks, which consisted of throwing 
burning brands over the cliff into the valley. 



126 WONDSRI^AND. 

Back of the hotel stands Half Dome, whose 
summit appears to have been chiseled by some 
mighty power to resemble a dome, one-half of 
which, having been dislodged by a violent con- 
vulsion of Nature, lies a mass of ruins at the foot 
of the mountain, leaving a perfect half dome 
clearl}^ outlined, on this occasion, against a beau- 
tiful blue sky. The melting snows of centuries 
have polished its summit so that the dome glis- 
tens like silver when the first rays of the morning 
sun make their appearance in the east. Cloud's 
Rest is another mountain whose summit pene- 
trates the clouds. It is one of the points to visit, 
and to reach it requires some effort and consider- 
able climbing. Directly opposite Glacier Point 
are the Royal Arches and the Royal Arch Falls. 
In front of the hotel are all the peaks and points 
passed while entering the valley. 

It being early in the season and the snow still 
deep on the mountains, numerous waterfalls 
were to be seen on all sides. Many of them 
have not been named from the fact that they dry 
up long before the season closes, and in fact 
some of them disappear in a few weeks after 
the season opens. 

After a refreshing sleep we were ready in the 
morning to put in a whole day exploring the 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 1 27 

valley. The first thing on our programme was 
to visit Mirror Lake and see the suu rise. Some 
of the party took stages, but two of us concluded 
to walk, as we did not have to be there until 
nine o'clock, as the sun did not appear above 
the tops of the mountains until that time. On 
the way we met a gentleman who very kindly 
offered to show us the route, and, thinking that 
he was well acquainted with the way, we fol- 
lowed him. After walking about half an hour 
we came upon a party of campers consisting of 
two young married couples who were out for a 
two weeks' stay in the woods and were prepared 
for roughing it. The ladies were dressed in suits 
made of bed ticking, with short skirts and heavy 
shoes. We chatted with them for a few moments 
and found that we were on the wrong trail and 
had farther to go to reach the lake than before 
leaving the hotel. Consequently we were unable 
to reach the lake before the rest of our party had 
left, and not until after the sun had risen. We 
lingered along its banks, and gazing upon it saw 
every cloud in the sky, every mountain, crag 
and peak, and every tree and bush near its edge 
faithfully reflected in the crystal water at our 
feet. The birds and insects that flitted across 
were distinctly seen upon its mirror-like surface. 



128 WONDERI.AND. 

Returning to the hotel we spent the time 
before dinner buying views and resting on the 
verandas. Going into the dining-room we ascer- 
tained that the chicken broth of the previous 
dinner had not all been disposed of, so what was 
left was diluted with water and served as chicken 
soup. The chickens came on at the next meal. 

Soon after, a carriage that had been ordered 
the evening before drove up. We took our seats 
and started on "The Grand Tour" of the valley. 
The road led us along the banks of the Merced 
river, and we- were entertained by the driver, 
who had an unlimited supply of interesting 
legends to relate. Every prominent crag and 
point had its story. As we passed grand old 
El Capitan, with its polished sides glistening 
in the afternoon sun, he pointed out in a cleft 
over half-way up its side a tree said to be over 
one hundred and twenty-five feet in height, 
although, from our point of view, it looked like 
a small shrub. He also pointed out a discolora- 
tion in the rock having a strong resemblance to 
a man's head, from which the rock takes its 
name, "El Capitan," the captain. Following 
the course of the river we soon came to the only 
private grounds within the valley. It is a claim 
taken by a prospector before the park was set 



YOSKMITE VALINE Y. 1 29 

aside by the United States Government as a 
national pleasure-ground. There is a deserted 
shanty, upon the door of which many tourists 
have inscribed their names. The place used to 
be a favorite drive for tourists who wished to get 
a good meal of trout, and no doubt it was very 
popular, judging from the fare we received at 
the hotel. The road now runs along the banks 
of the river, and in several places the rocks had 
to be blasted in order to clear an opening for the 
driveway. In the river are numerous large 
boulders which have rolled down the mountain 
sides, and choking the stream have formed a 
series of rapids which are very beautiful and add 
much to the romantic surroundings. The road 
now became very narrow, and we were congratu- 
lating ourselves that there were no carriages 
coming in the opposite direction, as there would 
be difficulty in passing, when we were startled 
by the driver shouting " Look out there ! Hold 
up ! " and looking ahead we saw a small buggy 
approaching. In it were a couple of young 
folks returning from the lower end of the valley. 
In trying to make room for our team to pass 
they came very near being thrown over the bank 
into the rushing waters of the rapids. As it was 



I30 WONDERLAND. 

they were only saved by the presence-of-mind 
of the young lady. 

At the lower end of the valley are the Cas- 
cades, a series of falls not so high as those we 
had just passed, but considerably more broken 
We spent some time trying to get near them, 
but on account of the clouds of mist that were 
being driven from the caiion by the wind, we 
were compelled to give it up, and started on 
the return to the hotel. Retracing our steps 
we crossed the river, and, following the road, 
came to a spring of water which the driver 
wished all to taste, as it was so clear and cold. 
Near this spot, the driver said, the bones of two 
white men were found soon after the discovery 
of the valley. They were supposed to have 
been prospectors who had wandered into the 
valley and been killed by the Indians, as an 
arrow point was found imbedded in the skull 
of one of them. It was about four o'clock when 
we drove up to the Bridal Veil Falls, where we 
witnessed a most wonderful rainbow. The posi- 
tion of the sun in the west shining upon the 
clouds of spray and mist formed a sight singu- 
larly beautiful. We were allowed some time to 
gaze upon this wonderful scene, and all left it 
with reluctance. 



YOSEMITE VAIvLEY. 13I 

As we drove toward the hotel the driver 
called our attention to a beautiful ribbon like 
waterfall which appeared to dissolve itself into 
mist before reaching the base of the cliff. He 
told us that it was named the " Widow's Tears," 
from the fact that it "dried up in six weeks." 
A little farther on we passed a couple of men 
returning from a ride up one of the trails, and 
the figures cut by them were most comical. 
They were both astride burros, and being above 
the average height they were compelled to sit 
in an uncomfortable position to keep their feet 
from dragging along the ground. They were 
accompanied by an ancient specimen of humanity 
who, from his antiquated dress and flowing 
white beard, would be easily mistaken for "Rip 
Van Winkle." As we drove up, the little ani- 
mals seemed sleepy enough, but we had not 
proceeded far before we heard a scampering 
behind us, and, looking back, saw our two 
friends coming up the road at a furious rate. 
They dashed past us, hauling and pulling on 
the reins, but to no eflfect — the donkeys had 
heard the call for supper and were bound for 
the stable, and nothing could stop them. 

Reaching the hotel we were somewhat tired, 
but fully repaid for the trouble we had taken to 



132 WO^DERLAND. 

get into the valley. The charming sights of the 
day had surpassed all expectation. The evening 
was spent upon the piazzas, where we sat look- 
ing across the valley at the majestic Yosemite 
Falls. We retired early in order that we might 
be fully rested for the rough riding of the next 
two days. The roar of the Yosemite lulled us to 
sleep, from which we were aroused in the morn- 
ing by a knock upon our doors and the an- 
anouncement that it was time to arise if we 
wished to take the stage for Wawona. 

At seven o'clock we were seated in the stage 
ready to start. As we drove down past Barnard's 
we observed a little church nestled among the 
trees, showing that the spiritual welfare of tour- 
ists was not overlooked. Soon a turn in the road 
shut the Yosemite Falls from our view, but the 
roar followed us until we commenced the ascent 
of the zigzag road leading up the wall of the 
valley to Inspiration Point. We passed the 
Widow's Tears, then the Bridal Veil, and look- 
ing across the valley took a last glance at the 
Maiden's Tears. Grand El Capitan, standing 
out like a buttress to guard the valley, was ever 
before us until we turned our backs upon him at 
Inspiration Point, where we drove into the woods 
and lost sight of the valley, its peaks, domes and 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 1 33 

waterfalls. Arriving at Inspiration Point, we 
were allowed to take a farewell view of the 
valley while the horses were given a breathing 
spell The time passed rapidly, when the driver, 
cracking his whip, started the horses off on a 
gallop after the stages which had preceded us. 

Since entering the valley the roads bad not im- 
proved, and we were bounced from one side of 
the stage to the other in a frightful and most 
ridiculous manner. A lady occupying the back 
seat with her husband was thrown with great 
force against the seat in front, and came near 
fainting. As we drove along the road past deep 
snow-drifts, several of the party got out and 
secured snow-plants. They are in form some- 
what like an asparagus-plant, though much 
larger, the stalk being as thick as a man's 
wrist, and the color is of the deepest red. 
They are found along the edges of the snow- 
drifts, pushing their heads up through the 
ground as soon as the frost fairly gets out of it. 

An important fact seldom stated in cold type is 
that women, when they visit this valley and wish 
to thoroughly explore the' wonders of the Yosem- 
ite, must use the donkeys to carry them over the 
rough mountain trails, and must ride astride. 
Sometimes, when ascending the side of a moun- 



134 WONDERLAND. 

tain, the trail is so steep that a woman, if 
perched sideways, would surely come to grief; 
and on a trail where an accident means a prob- 
able fall of a thousand feet or more, the reason 
for thus riding is apparent. Women must either 
forego the wonders of the Yosemite or discard 
the side-saddle while in the valley. 

It was dinner-time when we drove up to Major 
Washburn's hotel at Wawona, where we had left 
one of our party a few days before while we 
made the trip to the valley. She had been under 
the care of Major Washburn's family, who had 
made her stay a most pleasant one, and she was 
ready to start with us in the morning for Ray- 
mond, where we were once more to enter the 
cars. 

After a first-class meal, which we all appreci- 
ated, the stages drove up and we started for an 
afternoon's ride to the Mariposa Grove of big 
trees. The distance covered during the after- 
noon was about eighteen miles. 

The road wound around the mountains, gradu- 
ally ascending until we reached an altitude of 
over 5,000 feet. The trees first seen were in 
what is known as the lower grove, but they were 
not so large as those farther up the mountain. 
Reaching the "Grizzly Giant," the driver stop- 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 1 35 

ped his horses and many of us got out and 
walked around this monarch of the forest. A 
number of Raymond excursionists had Kodaks, 
and quite a number of snap shots were taken of 
the tree. The ' ' Giant ' ' is over thirty feet in 
diameter and more than ninety feet in circum- 
ference The first branches are over one hun- 
dred feet from the ground and measure six feet 
in diameter. A drive of a mile brought us to the 
upper grove, where over 350 trees are standing. 
Many of them have a brass, marble or iron plate 
fastened in the bark, upon which is inscribed the 
name given to each particular tree. The road, 
in making the circuit of the grove, passes 
through a living tree. When we passed through 
it the driver halted for a moment to show us how 
large the "tunnel" was. Two horses and the 
entire stage were covered by the arch. We then 
drove to the centre of the grove, where the 
keeper has his lodge. He adds considerable to 
his salary by selling to tourists pieces of bark cut 
into fancy shapes. Near his cabin is the ' ' Fallen 
Giant," one of the trees which has fallen. In 
course of time it will no doubt be carried away 
by tourists who cut pieces from it. 

On the return to the hotel we passed a couple 
of drunken Indians. They were trying to mount 



136 WONDERLAND. 

a small pony, but, being under the influence of 
liquor, they cut a very sorry figure. They fell 
off quite a number of times, and had it not been 
for that kind Providence which sometimes 
strangely attends fools, drunken men and chil- 
dren, they would have broken their necks. As 
domestic horses are very restive when in the 
presence of Indians, it was with great difficulty 
that we passed them. Two men had to get out 
and take the leaders by the bits and guide them 
past the drunken red men. The stages following 
us had a more exciting time. The Indians, hav- 
ing mounted the pony, came down the mountain 
like a whirlwind, leaping stones and fallen trees 
and yelling like demons. The stage-horses 
reared and plunged, and it required the utmost 
skill of the drivers to prevent a serious acci- 
dent. 

The best supper we had eaten since leaving 
Grant's Springs, as we entered the valley, was 
awaiting us upon our arrival at the hotel. Major 
Washburn and his family understand the art of 
keeping a hotel, and many of the travelers com- 
ing from the valley remain several days at his 
comfortable hostelry. 

At seven o'clock in the morning the stages 
drove up to the hotel, and passengers for 



YOSEMITE VALLEY. 137 

Raymond soon filled them. It was our fortune 
again to be passengers in the stage with Ed. 
Crawford, the accommodating driver who had 
brought us from Raymond when we entered the 
valley, and who had explained so much of interest 
to us. Our stage was next to the last that left 
Wawona, but as we stopped at the relays our 
team was gradually moved up front, and at 
Grub Gulch we took the lead, which we kept. 
Crawford, by a series of manoeuvres, had secured 
the United States mail, and that gave us pref- 
erence as to right of way. 

After leaving Grub Gulch we noticed in the 
valley below us a large trough winding along 
the base of the mountain. It was filled with 
running water. Crawford explained that it was 
used by the saw-mill operators up in the moun- 
tains for running their lumber down to the 
railroad. The water in the trough was supplied 
from mountain brooks, and the lumber placed 
in the trough at the mill would float down to 
the end of the trough, where it would be placed 
on the cars or stacked up to dry. The " canal," 
as he termed it, was about fifty miles long, and 
as lumber was cheap it was constructed at a 
comparatively small cost, and was the cheapest 
and most convenient method of transportation. 
10 



138 WONDERLAND. 

The roads which, when we entered the valley, 
were mud, had now become dust. The horses, 
as they moved along, left clouds of it in their 
wake, which we breathed to our great discom- 
fort. Occasionally a gust of wind would drive 
the clouds from us, and during the breathing 
spell we would look back to see how far the 
coming stages were behind us. Their position 
was easily discerned from the clouds of dust 
that followed them. 

When we came within sight of Raymond and 
the steam cars, the passengers gave a shout 
which made the mountains ring. We were at 
last within sight of the end of our jolting and 
hard riding. The occupants of each stage gave 
vent to their feelings in the same manner. We 
congratulated ourselves, our driver and every- 
body else that all had returned from the valley 
alive and were able to continue the journey. 

Bidding good-bye to Crawford, we went into 
the hotel and ate a fairly good supper, and then 
proceeded to the sleeping-cars which had been 
engaged before leaving the valley. When we 
entered our sleeper the thermometer registered 
ninety-two, and we made up our minds that 
sleep was out of the question. We were very 
agreeably disappointed in this matter, for when 



YOSEMITE VAI,I,EY. 139 

the train started, a draft was made through the 
cars which soon cooled them off, and we sank 
into peaceful slumbers. 

It was noon, Sunday, when we crossed the 
beautiful San Francisco Bay on our return to the 
city. We were soon back in our old quarters at 
the Palace Hotel. Going into the corridor we 
were most agreeably surprised at meeting seven- 
teen of our party who had made the trip across 
the continent. 

In the evening an impromptu reception was 
held in the parlors of the hotel, where all of the 
party met and passed several hours most agree- 
ably. Some had made arrangements to continue 
their trip to Alaska, and were anxious that the 
rest of us should accompany them and keep the 
party intact as long as possible. As none of the 
ladies of the party had visited Chinatown by 
night it was determined to make another trip to 
that locality Monday evening. Colonel Thomp- 
son was deputized to make the arrangements, 
and at a late hour we adjourned to our sleeping- 
apartments to meet in the parlors Monday even- 
ing at seven o'clock, where a guide was to be in 
waiting. 



140 WONDERLAND. 

Chapter IV. 

©ALIPOI^NIA I^ESOI^fPS. 

iOkN the eighth day of October, 1776, while 
^-^ the inhabitants of the eastern shore of what 
is now the United States were engaged in a war- 
fare to throw oflf the oppressive yoke of a foreign 
country and establish a nation of their own, a 
number of Spanish monks, having pushed their 
way up along the coast of what is now the 
Golden State of the Union, established one of 
their missions on the ground upon which the 
magnificent city of San Francisco now stands. 

Under the fostering care of this mission a 
village bearing the name of Yerba Buena was 
established. This was in 1835, almost sixty 
years after the monks first visited the place. 
The village received this somewhat singular 
name from the fact that a medicinal herb called 
' ' yerba buena ' ' grew in great abundance on the 
site. It is Spanish, and means "good herb." 

The old mission building is still standing, and 
is used as a place of worship. The building is 
of adobe, and the walls are three feet thick. 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS I4I 

The floor is of earth, and the roof is covered 
with heavy tiling. Clustered around the mission 
are the old adobe buildings once occupied by the 
monks, who sought, by their pretended sacri- 
fices, to improve the spiritual condition of the 
Indians, and also to live upon the fat of the 
land. These buildings are all in a dilapidated 
condition. The old mission burying-ground 
adjoins the building. Most of the inscriptions 
on the tombs are in Spanish, and were not 
decipherable by us. 

The name of San Francisco was given to the 
place in 1847, and from that time forward the 
town commenced to grow. It was the principal 
city in the State as soon as gold was discovered, 
and from here all expeditions were made into the 
diggings. During the "fifties" it was a ren- 
dezvous for all the cut-throats and gamblers who 
could get here. This class of citizens became 
so bold in their operations that in 1856 the fam- 
ous Vigilance Committee was organized, and 
some of the most notorious of them were exe- 
cuted and a number banished. This method 
of treatment terrorized the tough element, and 
the town became tranquil and one of the most 
orderly in the country. 



142 WONDERLAND. 

The city in its earlier days was a great sufferer 
from fires, there having been six great confla- 
grations during the two years beginning Decem- 
ber 24th, 1849, and ending June 22d, 1851. The 
amount of property destroyed in that time was 
over $26,500,000. 

Thoroughly refreshed by a full night's rest, 
we gladly welcomed Monday morning. Our 
rooms were located on the third floor of the 
Palace Hotel and faced the inner court. Con- 
sequently we were not disturbed by the continu- 
ous clanging of the gongs of the street cars 
that traverse all sections of the city, and pass 
the hotel on their way to the wharf two or three 
squares below. Breakfast over, we took a street 
car and were soon on our way to Golden Gate 
Park, the principal pleasure-ground of the city. 
The car landed us at the main entrance, and 
soon a carriage was engaged for a drive through 
the park and out to the Cliff House. The time 
spent in the park was most enjoyable, and the 
display of flowers was remarkable. There 
seemed to be an endless variety, and before we 
left the grounds we were almost bewildered by 
them. In the Horticultural building was seen 
one of the few specimens of the Victoria Regia 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 143 

lily in the United States. The driveway led us 
past the immense music-stand where, every 
Sunday afternoon, concerts are given by the 
finest band in the city. Near by is a monument 
erected to the memory of President Garfield. 

Passing out of the park we were soon traveling 
over a macadamized road, cut through the sand 
dunes, on our way to the famous Cliff House. 
Reaching the ocean the road followed the con- 
tour of the beach for some distance and then 
wound around the cliff until we reached our 
destination. Along the beach were groups of 
children wading and splashing in the water and 
evidently enjoying themselves to the greatest 
extent. Our driver drew up rein at the door 
of the Cliff House and we all dismounted and 
went inside. Being near the noon hour, we ate 
luncheon and then went out upon the pavilion 
to view the seals and seal-rocks. The rocks 
upon which the seals bask are about a quarter 
of a mile from shore, and opera-glasses were 
procured at the refreshment stand to assist in 
the novel view. Long before we reached the 
CliflF House the dismal bellowing of the seals 
could be heard. Hundreds of the animals were 
seen sunning themselves upon the rocks or 
swimming around them. Upon one of the 



144 WONDERLAND. 

smaller rocks two large seals were fighting 
apparent!}' for the master}^ of it and the favor 
of the female seals near them. The contest 
did not last long before one of them was driven 
into the water. The victor then gave a series 
of bellows, as if to challenge any one of his 
rivals to a combat. His notes were answered 
by an immense seal named "Ben Butler" that 
was sunning himself on the top of the highest 
rock. As he rushed down the rock at a furious 
rate, many of the seals in their haste to get out 
of his way flopped over into the ocean. He 
bellowed continuously, and, reaching the water, 
plunged in and started direct for his rival. As 
he approached the rock the other was ready for 
him and he was kept in the water for some 
time, but finally getting a hold with his flippers 
he clambered up on the rock. The battle did 
not last long before "Ben" had driven his rival 
into the water, and was once more looked upon 
by the females as the undisputed champion. 

We lingered some time watching the antics 
of the seals and then started on the return trip 
to the city. We drove to Sutro's Park, which 
overlooks the Cliff House, and walked through 
it. Near the house were chained a couple of 
bears and a monkey. The mischievous monkey 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. I45 

was continually worrying the bears by trying 
to steal some of the food which the latter were 
eating. It would get up as close as it dared 
and then chatter at a furious rate. If any move 
was made by the bears the monkey would be 
up one of the near-by trees in an instant. We 
watched the antics of this mischievous creature 
for some time, and then strolled through the 
labyrinth of flowers back to the gate where our 
carriage was awaiting us. Returning to the 
city we drove past the presidio, or the fort, 
which commands the Golden Gate or entrance 
to San Francisco Bay. 

It was dinner time when we arrived at the 
hotel. By chance we met the entire party in the 
corridors, and as we walked to the dining-room 
we organized a trip to Chinatown for the benefit 
of the ladies, who were left behind on the former 
trip. While waiting in the parlor after supper 
for the different members to assemble, Mr. George 
W. Childs, of the Public Ledger, Philadelphia, 
came in, and as some of the party were ac- 
quainted with Mr. Childs, we were each in turn 
presented to him. He was very agreeable, of 
course, and showed us a couple of handsome 
screens which had been presented to him by 



146 WONDERLAND. 

some young lady at one of the towns where his 
party had stopped. 

Everything being in readiness, we selected 
Colonel Thompson as leader and oif we started. 
Our guide was very loquacious, and answered 
innumerable questions put to him by the lady 
members of the party. In going to our destina- 
tion we avoided Dupont street and entered by 
way of Portsmouth Square. This square, during 
the gold fever, fronted on the bay, but now there 
are several blocks of large buildings between it 
and the wharves. We visited many of the stores 
and clambered through underground passages, 
going in one building and out another We 
visited the theatre, but as there was no perform- 
ance going on the ladies were somewhat disap- 
pointed. We visited the restaurant connected 
with the theatre, but had to hurry through be- 
cause one of the young ladies became faint when 
she saw the manner in which the food was being 
prepared. Going into the theatre, we prevailed 
upon one of the parties in charge to show us 
some of the costumes worn by the actors. They 
were gorgeous, being worked with gold lace and 
bullion. The weight of some of them would 
soon tire a person out if worn for any length 
of time. Passing up and down some of the 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 1 47 

Streets we would frequently hear the discordant 
screeching of one of the favorite musical instru- 
ments of the Chinese, accompanied by the din of 
clanging cymbals. Every now and then we 
would hear the explosion of firecrackers in some 
of the houses. We entered one of the many res- 
taurants, and, going upstairs, saw a Chinese ban- 
quet in progress. The guests were few and were 
outnumbered by the musicians. They were sit- 
ting around on ebony stools inlaid with mother- 
of-pearl. The men and the women were evi- 
dently filled with wine, as some of the former 
were quite lively and others were lying with 
their heads in the laps oi the women We were 
not allowed in the room, but saw all we wished 
to see from the balcony, which was built along 
the outside of the building. 

Returning to the street, we next visited one of 
the Joss-houses and bought more of the incense- 
sticks to "bling gooda luck." From here we 
went to the largest and most expensive restau- 
rant within the confines of Chinatown. Mount- 
ing two flights of steps we entered a room, the 
furniture of which was either solid mahogany or 
ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The drap- 
eries and other furnishings of the rooms were on 
the same expensive scale. We all gathered 



148 WONDERLAND. 

around one of the handsome tables and sipped 
our tea and ate Chinese sweetmeats until we 
started for the hotel, where we arrived thor- 
oughly tired out. 

Having rested well during the night, we deter- 
mined in the morning to visit San Rafael, one of 
the suburban towns, where many of San Fran- 
cisco's wealthy citizens built their homes in order 
to be out of the din and noise of a bustling city. 
It is on the western shore of San Pablo Bay, fif- 
teen miles from the great metropolis It takes its 
name from one of the old missions formerly 
located there The mission has been destroyed, 
and in its place are pleasant homes. To realize 
that the place is healthy, one only has to see the 
numerous ruddy-faced children of all ages that 
abound in every door-yard. 

Our vacation was getting shorter and shorter 
every day, and in order to visit all of the places 
we contemplated it was necessary that our stay 
in San Francisco should be shortened and that 
we proceed upon our trip to Menlo Park, San 
Jose, Santa Cruz and Monterey. Leaving the 
city by one of the early trains, we passed 
through a section of the suburbs given over to 
Chinese residents for truck-farms. The plots 
were not very large, but each one had its wind- 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 149 

mill for pumping water for irrigation. There 
were hundreds of them, reminding one of pic- 
tures of Holland. The country through which 
we passed was very fertile, and the fields of grow- 
ing grain were beautiful to look upon. 

The train halted at a neat little station and the 
conductor called, "All out for Menlo Park." 
Near this place is the Leland Stanford, Jr., Uni- 
versity. It is the gift of Senator Stanford, and 
stands as a monument to the memory of his only 
son, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died in 1884. It 
is endowed to the extent of twenty millions of 
dollars. The buildings are erected on the Palo 
Alto Farm, which consists of over seven thou- 
sand acres. It is the home of Senator Stanford, 
and here are also located his famous breeding- 
stables. Hiring a carriage we were taken out to 
the University. It is of Moorish design and 
encloses an immense quadrangle. The buildings 
are mostly one story in height and covered with 
red tiling. The dormitories are several stories in 
height and are located on either side of the Uni- 
versity. Within the quadrangle a continuous 
colonnade connects all the buildings. The art 
museum and the library buildings are located in 
front of the main building, a little to the right. 



150 WONDERLAND. 

From the University grounds we were taken to 
the stables, and had the pleasure of seeing the 
famous trotter, Palo Alto, exercised. There were 
quite a number of horses in the stables, and we 
spent some time watching the diflferent trainers 
take them out and give them their daily exercise 
around the track. 

Returning to the station, we were soon upon 
our way to San Jose. This latter place is the 
county seat of Santa Clara county, and is called 
the ' ' Garden City of the World. ' ' We arrived 
here early in the afternoon and went direct to 
Hotel Vendome. As is the case with all sight- 
seers, before we were fully settled in our rooms 
we had ordered a carriage for a drive through 
the town and over to Santa Clara, a small village 
that has grown up under the fostering care of 
one of the old missions that was established in 
1777. Connecting the two cities is a magnificent 
driveway known as the Alameda. The willows 
and pepper trees which line it on both sides were 
planted by the Indian converts, under the super- 
vision of the Jesuit Fathers, who lived in the 
mission. The distance between the two places 
being only three miles, Santa Clara was soon 
reached. The old mission church is still stand- 
ing, and is used as a place of worship. Like all 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 151 

the buildings erected by the Spaniards, it is of 
adobe, and is showing the ravages of time. In 
front of the church is an old cross, erected by the 
Indian converts soon after the mission was 
founded. It is now encased in a wooden frame, 
excepting the front, which is glass, so that the 
cross may be seen by all who pass by. Within 
the enclosure surrounding the mission is the 
Santa Clara College, under the discipline of the 
Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the best 
colleges under the control of that church in the 
State. On our return to San Jose we passed the 
grounds of the University of the Pacific, one of 
the strongest colleges on the Pacific coast. It is 
under the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and ranks high as an educational 
institution. 

The country tributary to San Jose is very fer- 
tile, and fruit-growing is the principal industry. 
Prunes, raisins and other dried and canned fruits 
are shipped in large quantities from this place. 
I,ick Observatory is located on the summit of 
Mount Hamilton, twenty-six miles away. Stages 
leave the hotel every morning, and occupy the 
entire day going to and returning from the 
observatory. At eight o'clock in the morning 
the stage drove up to the door and our party. 



152 WONDERLAND. 

now decreased to five, took seats in it and 
started. For some distance both sides of the 
road was shaded with rows of eucalyptus trees, 
and the perfume from their blossoms filled the 
air. Reaching the foot hills we commenced the 
ascent of the mountains, which consumed the 
entire forenoon. As we gradually rose from the 
plain the valley lay spread out below us. The 
orchards and vineyards, clad in their garments of 
green, made a most beautiful picture. Before 
reaching the dinner station we changed horses 
twice, and were enabled to make good time. 
The road, unlike the one entering the Yosemite 
Valley, was almost as level as a floor, and we 
were not subjected to such a shaking-up as we 
received when we entered and departed from the 
latter place. The road cost the county of Santa 
Clara almost $100,000. Arriving at the dinner- 
station we were within two miles of the observa- 
tory, in a direct line, but as we had to follow the 
road we were still seven miles from our destina- 
tion. This road was constructed upon methods 
suggested by the donor of the great observatory, 
Mr. James Lick. It is seven miles long, one 
mile for each day of the week ; there are three 
hundred and sixty five turns, one for every day 
in the year ; and at one point twelve divisions of 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. I53 

the road are to be seen, one to represent each 
month in the year. 

On arriving at the observatory everybody was 
requested to register in a book kept for that pur- 
pose, after which, in company with the janitor, 
we made a circuit of the buildings and were 
taken to the room in which the large telescope is 
kept. Under the foundation upon which the 
large instrument is erected lie the remains of Mr. 
L,ick The janitor gave us a short history of the 
institution and everybody connected with it. He 
had learned his piece by heart, and repeated it to 
every stage-load of people who came to see the 
place, and will probably continue to tell the same 
stor3^ in the same words, as long as he holds his 
position. 

When we had made a tour of all the rooms we 
were escorted by one of the professors to the 
cupola in which the small telescope is kept, and 
pointing it at one of the stars he permitted us to 
look through the instrument 

The return trip was very pleasant. While 
passing a hill upon which a great number of 
ground-squirrels were seen, the driver espied a 
coyote on the lookout for a squirrel with which 
to make an evening meal. As the party had no 
firearms with them he was permitted to stand 
II 



154 WONDERLAND. 

there unmolested. It was early in the evening 
when we reached the hotel, and ^some of us 
walked down the Alameda towards Santa Clara 
before supper. 

Bidding farewell to lovely San Jose, we took 
the train for Los Gatos. It was but a short run 
of nine miles, and we were soon at our destina- 
tion. The town has about two thousand inhabi- 
tants and is nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains, 
overlooking the beautiful and fertile valley of 
Santa Clara of the North. Like San Jose it is 
the centre of a fruit growing section, and upon 
the hills and mountain sides are to be seen the 
well-kept vineyards and orchards. The first 
cherries of the season were just coming in v/hen 
we reached the little town. 

Some of our party went direct to the ranch 
of a friend, while the remainder put up at the 
hotel. We had scarcely become settled in our 
apartments when a carriage drove up to the 
door and in it were two young ladies and their 
father, who had come to take us carriage-riding 
around the country and over the hills. The 
whole afternoon was spent in the carriage, and 
as the road wound around the mountains some 
most enchanting views of the valley were had. 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. I55 

Returning to the hotel we were invited to 
spend the evening at the ranch of our friend. 
It is within the corporate limits of the town, 
and upon it are bearing orchards of apricots, 
cherries, English walnuts, and a vineyard. We 
feasted upon cherries, and during our stay in 
the town visited his cherry-orchard many times. 
Our visit to lyos Gatos will long be pleasantly 
remembered. 

It was Decoration Day when we left for Santa 
Cruz and Monterey. When we arrived at the 
station our friends were already there, and in 
their arms were several large bags of excellent 
cherries. A charming auburn - haired young 
lady presented the writer with a bagful, remark- 
ing that she had picked them herself especially 
for him. This, of course, was pleasing, adding 
extra flavor to the fruit, and may the memory 
of the auburn-haired young lady and the cherries 
never be obliterated. 

Before the train pulled into the station the 
Grand Army men and the different societies of 
the town were forming in the square in front of 
the station for the parade. One club, known as 
the "Jags," had a membership of about thirty- 
five, and each one carried a Japanese parasol. 
They were patients at the Keely Institute located 



156 WONDERLAND. 

in IvOS Gatos. On account of this institute the 
pretty town is often referred to as "Jag Town." 

The ride over the Santa Cruz mountains was 
most enjoyable. The railroad passes quite near 
the Santa Cruz grove of big trees, and we could 
see them from the car windows. At Santa Cruz 
we drove out to the cliflfs, where the action of the 
waves has cut the bluflf into all sorts of fantastic 
forms. We also drove along the beach where the 
bath-houses are located and saw the crowds of 
bathers plunging in the surf. 

Wishing to spend all the time practicable at 
the Hotel Del Monte, at Monterey, we took the 
earliest train leaving Santa Cruz for the latter 
place. It was but a short ride through a beauti- 
ful country to the station of Del Monte, located 
within the park surrounding the hotel. The 
road leading to the hotel is as level as a floor, 
and winds in and out among the gnarled live- 
oaks and pines of great size and incalculable age. 
When we registered and were being shown to 
our rooms, we unexpectedly met in the corridors 
six members of our original "Golden Gate" 
party. They had been here for several days, 
and were awaiting advice from San Francisco as 
to whether they could secure accommodations on 
the steamer "'Queen," which was to sail from 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. I57 

Tacoma, Washington, on the sixth day of June, 
for Alaska. It was a pleasant reunion, and dur- 
ing our stay in Del Monte we were together most 
of the time 

Surrounding the hotel is a park of one hundred 
and twenty-six acres, all under the care of a head 
gardener and numerous assistants. Flowers of 
almost every variety bloom in profusion. In 
some places the underbrush has not been cleared 
out, and the forest in its natural state forms a 
pleasing contrast to the well-kept lawns and 
flower-beds to be seen upon every side. The 
"Arizona Garden" is composed of many varie- 
ties of cacti, which thrive in the balmy air of 
lovely Monterey. 

To visit Del Monte and not take the "Eigh- 
teen-Mile Drive" would be to miss one of the 
most pleasing features of the place. It was 
early in the afternoon when the stage, drawn by 
four handsome bays, was driven up to the hotel, 
and our party took seats within. It seemed a 
short drive through avenues lined on either side 
with pines and cedars until we left the confines 
of the park and approached the quaint old town 
of Monterey. In 1602 one of the early Spanish 
navigators, Don Sebastian Vizcaino, entered 
Monterey Bay, and landing with a couple of 



158 



WONDERLAND. 




CALIFORNIA RESORTS. I59 

priests and a company of soldiers took possession 
of the country in the name of the Spanish king. 
According to the custom of the Spaniards of that 
day, a cross was erected and an altar built under 
one of the trees, and mass was celebrated. Ti:e 
commander of the expedition did not remain 
very long, but taking his priests and soldiers 
aboard his ships returned to Mexico. For one 
hundred and sixty-eight years it retained its 
primitive silence, when, in 1770, Father Junipero 
Serra, the leader of a band of Franciscan mis- 
sionaries, landed at Monterey and established the 
Mission de San Carlos de Monterey. The friars 
immediately set about converting the Indians to 
Christianity and then making slaves of the new- 
ly-fledged Christians, whom they set to work 
tilling the soil and tending the herds of cattle 
and droves of swine. In the latter part of 1771, 
by order of the Marquis de Croix, the mission 
was removed to Carmelo valley, about five miles 
south of Monterey. Within the walls of the lat- 
ter mission lie the remains of Father Junipero 
Serra and three of his most intimate followers. 
The presidio was left at Monterey, and within its 
enclosure is the present antiquated Roman Cath- 
olic church. Following the zigzag street, we 
came to the old fort, built upon one of the hills 



l6o WONDERLAND. 

overlooking the bay. The ramparts are easily- 
traced, and some of the old guns, formidable in 
their time, looked down upon us. On an emi- 
nence near the fort stands a statue of Father 
Junipero Serra, erected by Mrs Senator Stanford 
in commemoration of the work done by the old 
friar. 

The history of Monterey and Monterey county 
is most interesting reading, and tells of the rise 
and decline of the quaint old town. The old 
missions come in for a great deal of mention, and 
their downfall is sad to read. In 1813 they had 
reached the zenith of their power and wealth, 
and from that time commenced to decline. The 
Spanish government despoiled them of much of 
their riches, and after the independence of Mex- 
ico was secured that nation confiscated what was 
left, and the old missions became deserted. Of 
late years, however, the old buildings have been 
restored and are now occupied as places of wor- 
ship. In spite of the many vicissitudes of the 
missions, Monterey flourished until 1847, when 
it was the principal town in the State and the 
seat of government. With the rise of San Fran- 
cisco and the removal of the seat of government 
to San Jose its decline was rapid, and it has 
never been able to regain its former supremacy. 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. l6l 

A short distance from Monterey is Pacific 
Grove, the great Methodist camp-ground of the 
Pacific States. It is to the Pacific Slope what 
Ocean Grove and Cottage City are to the Eastern 
States. Passing through the main avenue of the 
place we noticed many beautiful cottages and a 
large hotel. The auditorium is not so large as 
the one at Ocean Grove, but it is yet strikingly 
large. From Pacific Grove the road leaves the 
beach and turns inland, and passing through 
Point Pinos Rancho we came to the Pacific ocean 
at Moss Beach. In among the rocks a number of 
Chinese have put up some rude shanties to protect 
them from the elements. They make their 
living by catching fish and selling shells to 
the tourists who pass along the road. Several 
of them were squatting alongside their little 
heaps of shells and star-fish, eager to sell us 
specimens at much lower prices than we could 
purchase at the curio-stores of the town. I^ike 
San Francisco, Monterey has its seal-rocks. 
They are on the eighteen -mile drive, near 
Cypress Point. There were hundreds of seals 
basking in the sunshine or swimming around 
the rocks, some of them quite near the shore. 
There is a heavy penalty against shooting at 
them. After leaving: the seal-rocks we came 



l62 WONDERLAND. 

to the wonderful grove of Monterey cypress. 
The trees are gnarled and twisted into various 
shapes, and their flat tops give them the form 
of an immense umbrella. This is the only place 
where they are known to exist. Dante, in 
writing his "Inferno," must have dreamed of 
the Monterey cypress. Some of them are able 
to derive sustenance from the bare rocks over 
which the roots sprawl and grasp with fierce 
tenacity. We were taken out on Cypress Point, 
where the driver, stopping his horses to allow 
us to take in the view, calmly remarked that 
five bays could be seen from this point. After 
a fruitless efibrt to see more than one, he pointed 
to his team of four bays, which made up the five. 
Driving on we passed several Chinese with piles 
of shells in front of them and numbers of bright 
pebbles from Pebble Beach. At Pescadero Beach 
we turned into the forests of pine and oak. The 
road wound in and out of shady ravines, and, 
gradually ascending, reached the crest of a ridge 
which terminates in Cypress Point. Looking 
back, a view of surpassing beauty greeted our 
vision. Carmelo bay, with its waters of dark 
blue, tranquil and smooth, reminds one of the 
fairy scenes of childhood. 



CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 163 

The road now leads us back through Monterey, 
and we are soon at the hotel ready for dinner. 
While we were gone a telegram was received 
by our friends, stating that accommodations 
had been secured for them in the steamer 
"Queen," and that they must answer at once 
whether or not they would accept. It did not 
take them long to decide, and the accommo- 
dations were secured. 

Our stay at Del Monte was necessarily brief, 
as we had to make our preparations and be in 
Tacoma by June 5th and claim our state-rooms. 

During the afternoon we visited the Maze 
and tried to thread its treacherous paths, and 
in the evening we visited the club house and 
walked through the grounds. 



-r-^nf^fT^r^ 



[64 



WONDERLAND, 



Chapter V. 



COME across the conti- 
nent and return with- 
out visiting Alaska is 
a great mistake. The 
voyage is in a large 
ocean steamer, unac- 
companied by the usual 
sea-sickness that goes 
with a trip across the 
Atlantic or Pacific 
oceans. After you have 
made up your mind to 
go, make your arrangements if possible to go 
by the steamer "Queen," and you will never 
regret it. We had almost given up the idea 
that we could secure berths on the steamer that 
was to leave Tacoma June 6th, and were pre- 
paring to commence our homeward trip, when 
a telegram was received stating that state-rooms 
had been secured, and to come and claim them 
immediately. There was a hurried repacking of 




Totem-Pole, Fort Wrangle. 



ALASKA. 165 

trunks, accompanied with the usual excitement 
preparatory to taking a new trip. Heavy wraps 
were brought up from the bottom of the trunks 
and put in convenient places and everything got- 
ten ready for a trip to the Land of Glaciers. 

We left Monterey early in the afternoon, reach- 
ing San Francisco before night. The following 
morning was devoted to securing our steamer 
tickets and making a few necessary purchases. 
The afternoon was over half spent when our 
party, now increased to nine by the arrival of 
the four Pittsburg ladies, met in the ferry-house 
at the foot of Market street and were soon on 
board the ferry-boat bound for Oakland, where 
we were to take the cars. It was a beautiful 
sight as we beheld the vessels of every nation 
lying at anchor either in the bay or along the 
wharves of the great western metropolis. The 
sun was just sinking behind the hills of San 
Francisco when we entered the ferry-house at 
Oakland, and the reflection of its rays on the 
window-panes gave one the impression that an 
immense conflagration was raging on every hill- 
top. Before leaving Oakland several beautiful 
bouquets of fragrant flowers were presented to 
the lady members of the party. 



1 66 WONDERLAND. 

The distance from San Francisco to Portland 
over the Southern Pacific Railroad is 772 miles, 
and the time occupied in traveling between the 
two cities was two nights and one day. 

The scenery along the railroad is wonderfully 
grand. For several hours on the day after leav- 
ing San Francisco we traveled under the shadow 
of snow-capped Mount Shasta. At the Shasta 
Soda Springs the train stopped for a few moments 
to allow the passengers to get out and drink the 
refreshing waters. In the afternoon, while look- 
ing out of the car windows, we noticed that our 
train passed over the tracks of what we thought 
was some other railroad, but upon asking the 
brakeman where the road led to he said that in 
a few minutes we would be riding on those 
tracks, as the road, in climbing the mountain, 
made a complete loop and run under itself. 

The next morning we arrived in Portland, 
where our Pittsburg friends left the train to 
spend the day in that city, and were to meet us 
in Tacoma in the evening. All forenoon we 
traveled through magnificent forests of stately 
trees. At noon we were in Tacoma, quartered 
at the hotel of the same name. Its location is 
admirable, being on a bluff overlooking Puget 
Sound, one of the finest harbors in the world. 



ALASKA. 167 

At the wharves of Tacoma the vessels of the 
deepest draft can load and unload their cargoes 
without fear of being stranded at low water. 

The afternoon was spent in completing ar- 
rangements for our long voyage. In the even- 
ing the parties who had stopped over in Portland 
arrived, and when morning came we met in the 
parlors of the hotel and decided as to how the 
intervening time until evening would be em- 
ployed. 

We rode on all the street-car lines in the city, 
and when returning to the hotel narrowly es- 
caped being run over by a runaway horse. We 
were all pleased with Tacoma, and were favor- 
ably impressed with the many fine buildings 
which adorn the city in every section. The 
streets, instead of being paved, are planked, 
lumber being much cheaper than stone. It also 
has the advantage of causing less noise when the 
heavy wagons roll over it. 

On the evening of June 5th we took possession 
of our state-rooms on the steamer "Queen," 
Captain James Carroll, commanding, and were 
ready for the long voyage to Muir Glacier, Sitka, 
and the usual stopping places en route. 

As soon as we were shown our state rooms and 
had made ourselves at home with the surround- 



l68 WONDERLAND. 

ings, we commenced a tour of inspection of the 
floating palace that was to be our home for the 
next twelve days. Our rooms opened into the 
dining-room, in which were three tables, one 
reaching the entire length of the room, and two 
shorter ones placed in the broadest part of the 
room. The social hall is on the main deck, and 
is reached by a flight of steps from the dining- 
room. It is well furnished with parlor furniture, 
including tables for games and an upright piano. 
At the stern of the vessel on the main deck is 
the smoking room, where games of chess and 
whist were played all day long excepting at meal 
times. In the bow and stern were convenient 
places for steamer chairs. The vessel was lighted 
with electricity, and every convenience was at 
hand. 

At five o'clock Monday morning the lines were 
cast oflf, the screw of the propeller began to churn 
the water, and the trip was actually begun. Our 
first stop was at Seattle, where a number of pas- 
sengers came on board, among them being three 
of our "Golden Gate" party, so that there were 
twelve of us in the company once more. As the 
boat was to remain at the wharf for some time, a 
number went off and bought steamer chairs, 
which came in very conveniently for lounging 



ALASKA. 169 

when tired of promenading the deck. Near the 
wharf were a number of Indians living in their 
dug-outs, as their canoes are called. One could 
see nothing of the stately bearing of the ' ' Noble 
Redman" so often read about. Their stature 
was small, to begin with, and their faces had the 
appearance of wrinkled leather. They were a 
repulsive-looking set. The expression of one of 
the squaws as she looked at the writer when he 
passed will linger with him by day and haunt 
him by night. 

At last the whistle blew, the passengers came 
on board and our staunch steamer headed for the 
north. The shore of Puget's Sound, on each 
side, is densely wooded with forests of pine, fir 
and hemlock, beginning at the water's edge and 
reaching to the snow- line on the high mountains. 
The landscape forms a most beautiful picture of 
water, forest and snow-capped mountains. 

Port Townsend was our next stopping-place. 
Here another consignment of passengers came on 
board. A wagon-load of mail-bags were dumped 
on the wharf and quickly carried on board by 
the deck-hands, and we availed ourselves of the 
opportunity to post some letters to distant friends. 
Everything being in readiness, the whistle blew, 
the gang-plank was pulled in, and the steamer 
12 



I70 WONDERLAND. 

headed for Anacortes, our last landing-place in 
the State of Washington. Anacortes is a small 
town, with a number of very substantial build- 
ings erected by Eastern capital. It was boomed 
on paper and considerable money was invested, 
but it cannot amount to much of a place, and the 
investors will wait a long time before receiving 
any returns for their money. Only a short stop 
was made, but many of the passengers went on 
shore and bought a plentiful supply of fruit and 
a few souvenirs. Several passengers, owing to a 
misunderstanding as to the time the steamer was 
to remain at the wharf, came near getting left. 
As it was, the gang-plank was hauled in, when 
some one discovered them walking leisurely 
down the street and informed the captain, who 
ordered the plank out again and the tardy ones 
came on board. 

The approaches of Victoria are beautiful. 
Long before we entered the harbor we saw 
the prominent buildings stand out in bold relief 
against an almost cloudless sky. The Dunsmuir 
castle is a prominent landmark, and was seen 
from far down the sound. It requires a steady 
hand to navigate the intricate passage from the 
outer to the inner harbor. We passed quite near 
the wreck of the steamer "San Pedro," which 



ALASKA. 171 

lay on the rocks with her bow pointing to the 
sky and her stern under the water. The sun 
was just setting when the steamer was made 
fast to the wharf, and a most glorious sunset it 
was. The gang-plank being put out, most of 
the passengers availed themselves of the oppor- 
tunity to set foot on English soil, and went 
ashore. Quite a number of hacks and coupes 




Wreck of the "San Pedro." 

were there to take us around the town. Many 
took street-cars, but our party secured the 
services of a very intelligent driver, who took 
us all over the town and pointed out everything 
of interest to the tourist. There are a number 
of handsome churches, which fact speaks well 
for the easy-going inhabitants. The Methodists, 
being the strongest, have the finest place of 
worship. The Presbyterians also have a very 



172 WONDERLAND 

fine church. We were driven through Beacon 
Hill Park as the twilight was fading, and 
watched the reflection of the silver moon danc- 
ing over the rippling waters of the sound Far 
away on the American shore (they always speak 
of the United States as "America," and the 
people from there as "Americans") were the 
flickering lights of one of the harbor towns. 
Our driver said that the lights were twenty 
miles distant. Leaving Beacon Hill we drove 
through the grounds of Carey Castle, the resi- 
dence of the governor, and then back to the 
" Queen." On our way we plucked an immense 
bouquet of Scotch Broom for those who remained 
on board. We retired early in order to be up 
before the steamer should leave the wharf in 
the morning and not miss any of the beautiful 
scenery. 

As this was our last stopping-place before 
entering the Alaskan boundary, several more 
passengers came on board and took possession 
of the few state- rooms that were unoccupied. 
There were over two hundred first class and 
quite a number of steerage passengers on board. 
The former, with but few exceptions, were tour- 
ists, while the latter were chiefly prospectors and 
miners going to the gold-fields of Alaska. 



ALASKA. 173 

The boat had left her moorings and started 
on the way to Fort Wrangle long before the 
most active of us got out on deck in the morn- 
ing. The scenery is a succession of well-wooded 
mountains, down whose sides, like long white 
ribbons, trickled the silver threads of waterfalls 
fed by the eternal snows which crown their 
tops Numerous islands dotted the straits and 
bays through which we passed. All were well 
wooded, and will supply lumber and timber for 
the markets for years to come. Frequently on 
the mountain sides, reaching far toward the 
snow-line, were seen narrow strips of different 
shades of green. These, we were told, marked 
the tracks of avalanches, which, in rushing down 
the mountains, had carried everything before 
them, and a new growth had sprung up, account- 
ing for the difference in color of the foliage. 
Here in these mountains is the home of the bald 
eagle, the emblem of our nation. At all times 
of the day some of these noble birds were seen 
either soaring over the steamer or perched upon 
the highest limbs of the tallest trees that grow 
near the water. An officer of the boat informed 
me that at some seasons of the year hundreds of 
them could be seen in a single day. 



174 



WONDERLAND. 



Bulletins were posted in the social hall and 
smoking-room at noon of each day, giving the 
number of miles traveled the preceding twenty- 
four hours, the straits, bays and sounds through 
which we were to pass, and the time when the 
vessel was expected to reach certain points. 
These were eagerly scanned as soon as posted, 
and many of the passengers made copies of every 
bulletin. 

There were quite a number of fine musicians 
on board, and every evening a number of them 
would take possession of social hall and give an 
entertainment, which added much to the pleasure 
of the trip. Among the party were a couple of 
sisters who were expert musicians, one perform- 
ing on the mandolin and the other accompanying 
her on the piano. They were always in demand, 
and no entertainment was thought of unless they 
were in it. The young ladies were Hebrews, ac- 
companied by their father and mother, and they 
appreciated every attention that was shown them. 

After leaving Victoria everybody was on the 
lookout for a whale, and numerous false alarms 
were sounded by those who, anxious to be the 
first to see one of these monsters of the deep, let 
their imaginations get the better of them. To 
some persons porpoises appeared as whales ; to 



ALASKA. 175 

Others floating logs, and so on. A small reef 
just above water was mistaken for a whale by a 
young lady, and she never heard the last of it 
until the boat landed at Victoria on its return. 
One afternoon, however, a number were sighted 
and there was a rush for the bow of the boat to 
see them. There must have been at least two 
dozen, and they spouted at frequent intervals. 
We watched them until they disappeared far in 
the wake of the steamer. 

On the afternoon of the third day from Tacoma 
we met the steamer "Islander," with a number 
of excursionists returning from Alaska. The 
vessels were made fast to each other. Those 
on the "Islander" were anxious to hear the 
latest news from the national convention at 
Minneapolis, and were glad to take what papers 
we had, even though a week old. After visiting 
each other for about half an hour the vessels 
parted company, the "Queen" continuing to 
the north and the "Islander" to the south. 
It was a pleasing and novel experience, and was 
appreciated by all. 

After leaving the northern boundary of Wash- 
ington we had sailed for almost two days in 
British waters, but when we commenced crossing 
Dixon Entrance the captain informed us that 



176 WONDERLAND. 

we were sailing within the territory of the 
United States — Alaska. 

The first settlement noticed was that of Metla- 
kathla, an Indian town founded by a missionary 
named Duncan. It is self-supporting and under 
no particular church, but the founder is of the 
old Scotch Presbyterian faith. 

One evening while promenading the deck our 
attention was drawn to notes of music from the 
violin and banjo. Following the direction of 
the sounds we came upon a number of the 
waiters and room-boys engaged in shelling peas. 
Four young men seated upon a coil of rope were 
playing lively tunes on the violin, flute, banjo 
and accordion. A number of passengers, includ- 
ing several ladies, had been attracted to the same 
place and were engaged in helping the boys. 
It was a pleasant diversion and was enjoyed by 
all who participated in it. 

Our first landing in Alaska was at Fort Wran- 
gle, an old Russian settlement. During the 
occupation of the territory by that nation it was 
a place of considerable importance and a garrison 
was kept there. Since the United States secured 
possession the soldiers have been withdrawn and 
the fort is fast going to decay. The town is a 



ALASKA. 177 

miserable looking place, with only one street, 
along which are numerous Indian shanties. 

Long before the " Queen " had been made fast 
to the wharf and the gang-plank put ashore, the 
Indians were seen coming with their baskets and 
trinkets to sell to the tourists at exorbitant prices. 
They were dressed or wrapped in their many- col- 
ored blankets, and looked very picturesque. The 
baskets were very pretty and the trinkets con- 
sisted of wooden forks and spoons, with gro- 
tesque figures of heads, fish and turtles for han- 
dles. They also had small totem-poles, with 
such figures carved on them as only an Alaskan 
Indian could imagine. Fort Wrangle bears the 
distinction of having the finest totem -poles in 
the territory bordering on the ocean. They were 
easily seen, long before the steamer came to the 
wharf, lifting their grotesque figures in front of 
the Indian shanties that face the bay. The to- 
tems are varieties of ancestral crests, marking 
the different families of which the hou.sehold con- 
sists. Some of the houses have two poles in 
front, representing both sides of the family. The 
heads of the families claim to trace their origin 
from either the crow, the whale, the wolf, the 
bear or the eagle. When the families intermarry, 
the different animals or birds and a number of 



178 



WONDERLAND. 




Totem-Poles, Foit Wrangle. 



ALASKA. 179 

grotesque faces are carved on the immense poles, 
which are placed in front of the dwellings Some 
of the graves are marked by curious blocks of 
wood, representing the whale, the wolf, etc. • 

"And they painted on the grave posts 
Of the graves yet unforgotten, 
Each his own ancestral totem, 
Each the symbol of his household — 
Figure of the bear and reindeer, 
Of the turtle, crane and beaver." 

The totem is held in great veneration by the 
families, and it is an unpardonable sin to sell or 
part with it. 

While the steamer lay at the wharf an oppor- 
tunity was given to those who wished to see a 
representation of the ancient war- dance given by 
an old Indian. We were all crowded into a large 
building, the same being black with smoke and 
reeking with numerous bad odors, which were 
somewhat purified by the smoking embers of a 
fire which struggled hard for existence in the 
centre of the room. After a long wait the Indian 
appeared, dressed in a robe de nuit and a pair of 
white muslin drawers, with a curiously marked 
blanket thrown over his shoulders. A peculiar- 
looking crown, open at the top and filled with 



l8o WONDERLAND. 

the down of the sea-gull, adorned his ugly, 
painted head. He was preceded by an Indian 
beating furiously on a tom-tom and giving ear- 
splitting yells. Coming into the building, he ex- 
plained the kind of a dance he was about to 
execute, when, at a given signal, the tom-toms 
were beaten and a chorus of Indian maidens 
set up a curious yell, and then the performer 
commenced to jump around, yelling and beating 
two sticks which he held in his hands. Throw- 
ing his head back with a quick jerk he sent the 
feathers flying from his head-dress all over the 
audience, who beat a hasty retreat and spent the 
rest of their time in picking the feathers off their 
clothes. In relating our experience to one of the 
citizens of the place he informed us that we had 
been "raked in," and that this Indian was one 
of the worst reprobates in the place. He said 
that the people would rather pay fifty cents each 
to have some one shoot him than to pay that 
amount to see him perform. 

Drawn up on the beach in front of the huts 
were many canoes belonging to the Indians. 
Some ot them were works of experts and showed 
evidences of great skill on the part of the makers. 
They are made from the yellow cedar, which is 
found in some parts of Alaska, where it attains 



a large growth. Those we saw on the beach 
were covered with boughs or old blankets, to 
prevent the sun from warping or cracking the 
sides. The utmost care is taken of them, as the 
canoe is the Indian's chief means of earning a 
livelihood. In times when they were engaged in 
war with neighboring tribes, canoes that carried 
from thirty to fifty people were in use. The 
largest one seen upon the beach was probably 
forty feet in length. An Indian without a canoe 
is in a pitiable plight. 

The Alaskan women are not unlike their more 
civilized sisters in one respect — the love of dis- 
play of jewelry. Many of them were adorned 
with numerous rings and bracelets, which they 
would sell to the tourists at good prices. A 
peculiar adornment was the labrette worn by 
them in their lower lip. The lip is pierced and a 
small piece of silver inserted, and as this "orna- 
ment" is something out of the ordinary style of 
the more enlightened nations, one of our party 
bought one from a wrinkled old squaw who was 
selling garnets. Some of the younger girls had 
their faces painted black, believing it added to 
their beauty. 

As we walked along the only street of the 
village and stopped to purchase some trinkets 



1 82 WONDERLAND, 

exhibited for sale, the mixture of unwholesome 
odors that came from the dwellings was nauseous, 
and it was a great relief to get back to the 
steamer and breathe the pure air as it came from 
the bay uncontaminated by contact with the 
natives . 




Halibut Hook. 

Among our purchases was a peculiar-looking 
fish hook, used for catching halibut. It is gro- 
tesquely carved, like all things used by the 
Alaskans. 



ALASKA. 183 

It was after midnight when the lines were 
cast off and we were again steaming northward. 
In the morning we were very much surprised 
to see that the steamer was not moving and that 
numerous icebergs were floating quite near. 
Directly in front of the vessel was an immense 
wall of ice, surmounted by innumerable glisten- 
ing pinnacles. It was a beautiful sight. The 
coloring of the glacier, for such it was, surpassed 
anything we had ever seen. The pinnacles were 
a snowy white, while the ice below varied from 
a delicate green to an ultramarine blue. We 
were at the Taku glacier, where the supply of 
ice for the round trip was taken on board. 
Large cakes of ice were brought up to the ship, 
a strong wire net thrown around them, and then 
they were hoisted on board. It was an interest- 
ing sight to watch the work, and after forty 
tons had been stored in the hold the vessel was 
turned about and we proceeded to Douglass 
Island, our next stopping-place. Here are located 
the famous Treadwell gold mines, the largest in 
the world. An opportunity was given the pas- 
sengers to visit these mines, and most of them 
embraced it. We first went into the stamp mill, 
but hastily withdrew on account of the noise, 
which was almost deafening. A number of 



[84 



WONDERLAND. 




ALASKA. 185 

the ladies were presented with some very fine 
specimens of pyrites, or "fools' gold," which 
they at first thought were very valuable. Back 
of the stamp-mill is the mine. It resembles 
a quarry more than anything else, as the rock is 
all above ground. From here we passed to the 
roasting room, where large furnaces heated the 
pulverized stone and released what gold remained 
after the washing in the stamp-mill. The mine 
is a mountain of ore. It was discovered by a 
man named Treadwell (after whom it was named), 
who sold it to four men for $500. They expended 
a sufi5cient amount of money to demonstrate the 
value of the mine, and sold it to a stock com- 
pany, each man receiving $750,000 in cash, 
besides a considerable amount of stock. The 
mine is now valued at $25,000,000. The ore is 
what is termed "low-grade," and averages be- 
tween five and eight dollars from each ton of 
rock. The cost of reducing the ore varies from 
one dollar to one dollar and ninety cents per ton, 
so one can see that it is a bonanza of the largest 
kind. 

After spending over an hour looking through 
the works and surroundings, we went back to 
the steamer. Soon the lines were cast off, and 
we steamed for Juneau, just across the bay. 
13 



l86 WONDERLAND. 

Juneau is a picturesque little town nestled at 
the base of a high mountain. It is a place of 
some importance, but as we approached it did 
not seem very inviting. It is a fitting- out place 
for prospectors, who make up their packs here 
and go over the mountains in search of gold. 
Here our miners left the boat and began looking 
around for Indians to carry their packs. One of 
them had a most striking physique — large, 
powerful and well-proportioned. In conversa- 
tion with him it was ascertained that he was 
going to work his way over the mountains until 
he got to the Yukon river, then prospect along 
its banks until he reached the Behring sea, 
where he would probably get on an American 
war vessel and come back to civilization. He 
calculated that he would be gone all summer, 
and would get back to the States about the 
middle of November. The passengers bought . 
numerous baskets and trinkets, for which they 
paid, as usual, extravagant prices. On board 
the vessel were many delegates to the Presby- 
terian Assembly, which met at Portland, Oregon, 
and a reception was tendered them by the Pres- 
byterian inhabitants of the town. It was given 
in the little opera house and was a very pleasant 
affair. We were all satisfied to leave when the 



ALASKA. 187 

time came, as the weather had been verj- thick 
and rainy. 

As we steamed farther north great nnmbers of 
cormorants were seen. They belong to the peli- 
can family, and are notorious because of their 
gluttonous habits. Their food is principally fish, 
and they eat such quantities that their wings are 
unable to lift them out of the water, and conse- 
quently they are not able to fly. It was very 
amusing to watch their efforts to get out of the 
way of the vessel, and to see them floundering 
over the water. Sometimes they would turn 
completely over. 

Our next landing-place was Sitka, the capital 
of the territory, but before touching there we 
went to Chilkat, the northernmost point reached 
on our trip. It was early in the morning, and 
not over a dozen people were on deck when 
the steamer, passing Chilkat, turned her prow to 
the south and started for Sitka. Before reach- 
ing our destination we passed through Peril 
straits, the most dangerous part of the trip. 
It seemed to most of the passengers as if nothing 
could prevent the vessel from being wrecked 
upon the many rocks, but the stanch craft was 
skillfully guided past them and gracefully out- 
rode all danger. 



I»» WONDERI^AKD. 

We arrived in Sitka Saturday evening, just 
after dinner, and the customary array of Indian 
squaws was seen squatting along the wharf, 
with their trinkets spread out before them. The 
usual high prices prevailed, and the tourists soon 
returned to the boat with armloads of totem- 




Baroiioft" Castle, Sitka. 



sticks, small canoes, baskets, canoe-paddles, and 
other things too numerous to mention. The 
first building worthy of attention was the old 
Baronoff castle. It stands upon a rock near the 
wharf. It was the residence of the Russian 



ALASKA. 189 

governors before Alaska was acquired by the 
United States. During the residency of the 
Romanoff governors its halls witnessed many 
brilliant gatherings when the naval commanders 
and envoys visited the territory. It is said that 
the wife of the ruling governor, when the terri- 
tory was ceded to the United States, shed many 
bitter tears when the Russian flag was lowered 
and the Stars and Stripes run up in its place. 
She was far more patriotic than the officials, and 
looked upon the selling of the domain as an 
indication of waning power. The castle is now- 
unoccupied and fast approaching destruction. 
From the cupola on the roof a fine view of the 
town and bay may be had. The village is built 
at the base of a range of mountains whose crests 
are continually covered with suow. The street 
follows the contour of the bay, is perhaps a 
mile or more in length, and reaches from the 
"rancherie" to the Indian river. Turning, one 
looks upon a most beautiful harbor and bay, 
studded with numerous islands. 

At anchor in the bay were several United 
States war vessels with the seal-poachers they 
had captured while illegally catching seals on 
the islands. 

Directly in front of the wharf, some distance 



igo 



WONDERLAND. 




ALASKA. 191 

from the water, is the only Greek church in 
America. It is built in the form of a cross, 
surmounted by a steeple that was once painted 
green, but which is now badly faded. A Mal- 
tese cross crowns the spire. As services were 
not being held, an admission fee of fifty cents 
was charged. The interior was magnificently 
furnished with paintings by the old masters. 
In the pictures of the saints and the Madonna 
only the faces are seen, the balance being cov- 
ered with gold or silver. The crowns worn by 
brides and bridegrooms at marriage ceremonies 
were shown us ; also the bishop's miter. The 
latter was very old, and, being set with pearls 
and precious stones, was very valuable. Several 
entertaining hours could easily have been spent 
within the sacred walls, but as our time was 
limited we hurried through. 

The Indians are kept as much as possible in 
a section of the town called the " rancherie." 
In visiting it one finds a bottle of smelling-salts 
very acceptable, as the odors which issue from 
the cabins are oppressive. It was after eleven 
o'clock, Saturday evening, when the writer 
passed through it hunting for Princess Thom, 
a fat, wrinkled Indian squaw who has amassed 
a small fortune in trading among her tribe and 



192 WONDERLAND. 

with the white people. It was a surprise to 
realize, on arriving at the boat, that though 
almost midnight, darkness had not yet settled 
down, owing to the long twilight, and several 
on deck were yet engaged in reading at this 
hour. 

Sunday morning was bright and clear. Before 
breakfast a party of us started out to revisit the 
"rancherie" and get some silver spoons, made 
by the natives. Noticing a great number of 
mongrel curs in this part of the town, our curi- 
osity was aroused and we counted as many as a 
dozen in front of several of the huts. The aver- 
age to each cabin was about nine. After secur- 
ing what trinkets we wanted we returned to the 
steamer, meeting on the way a number of our 
fellow-passengers bent on the same errand as our 
own. We strolled through the old cemetery and 
noticed quite a number of small houses about the 
size of dog-kennels over many of the graves. 
Some were provided with windows and others 
were enclosed on all sides. On the way back we 
noticed several octagonal buildings, which, dur- 
ing the Russian occupation, had been used as 
magazines and block-houses. They have long 
since been abandoned and are fast going to 
decay. 



ALASKA. 193 

Flying around the warehouses and buildings 
near the wharf were numerous large ravens, fully 
twice the size of the crows of our native clime. 
They gave a much louder ' ' caw ' ' than their 
more southern brethren and seemed to jeer at us 
as we passed them. In former times, before the 
Christianizing of the natives, many of the tribes 
of Alaska held this bird sacred, some families 
tracing their origin back to it. 

Some of the tourists spent the day visiting the 
missions, while others took a walk along the 
romantic Indian river, which flows immediately 
in the rear of the town. We chose the latter, 
and wended our way through the grounds be- 
longing to the mission, back past the cemetery, 
through numerous patches of wild flowers, where 
we found the path leading to the river. It was 
a romantic walk through forests of pine and over 
rustic bridges, with the clear waters of the 
Indian river running at our side. Several hours 
were spent as we sauntered along, and by the 
time we arrived at the wharf it was almost time 
for us to start for Muir Glacier. 

Before the vessel left the wharf a number of 
us bought copies of the only newspaper pub- 
lished in the city. It was made up of "patent 
outsides " of several varieties, giving descrip 



194 WONDERI.AND. 

tions of various points of interest in the territory. 
The "news" was on the inside, and was made 
up principally of a list of passengers of the 
steamer. An Indian band from the Presbyterian 
mission came down to the wharf and played 
several airs, and Princess Thom, wrapped in one 
of her finest blankets, came to bid us adieu. 

Mount Edgecombe, whose summit pierces the 
clouds, is an extinct volcano located on the 
southern point of Kruzoflf Island, opposite the 
city of Sitka. Its elevation is 2,955 f^et, and 
the crater is 2,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. 
It is the sacred mount of the Alaskan Indians. 
What Olympus was to the ancient Greeks, Edge- 
combe is to the uncivilized tribes of Alaska. I 
will repeat, as near as I can, one of the tradi- 
tions related to me as a party of us sat on the 
upper deck of the steamer upon leaving the 
wharf : 

"In the dim and distant past," according to 
the Indian legend, "the first Indian pair lived 
under the shadow of this mountain. For a long 
time they lived happily together, and many chil- 
dren were the fruit of their marriage. One day, 
like a thunder-clap out of a clear sky, a family 
jar occurred, and the husband and wife quarreled 
long and loud. The Great Spirit, as a punish- 



ALASKA. 195 

ment for their unseemly conduct, changed the 
man into a wolf and the woman into a raven. 
The latter then flew to the crater of the mount 
and disappeared within it, and is now supposed 
to be resting upon a stump, supporting the world 
upon her outstretched wings. Whenever there 
is a storm, accompanied with thunder and light- 
ning, the natives believe that it is only the rav- 
ings of the wolf who is trying to dislodge the 
raven from her resting-place, and should he 
succeed the world and all upon it will be de- 
stroyed." 

And now, even with all the influences of 
Christianity thrown about them, whenever it 
thunders many of the Indians take stones and 
pound upon the floors of their houses to encour- 
age the raven to hold fast to her resting place. 

At twelve o'clock Sunday noon the steamer 
glided gracefully through the channels between 
the many islands that dot the harbor in front of 
Sitka. Passing through Peril straits, we were 
again moving toward the north. It was a little 
after ten o'clock when the first iceberg was 
sighted— a small one, about the size of an ordi- 
nary one-story frame cottage. It was not long 
before they commenced to get quite numerous, 
and before two o'clock in the morning, when we 



196 WONDERI^AND. 

retired, they were scraping the paint off the iron 
hull of our vessel. 

On awaking Monday morning the prospects of 
a clear day seemed doubtful, but before breakfast 




Ice-Floe, Glacier Bay. 

was over the rays of the sun had pierced the 
clouds, and everyone was in a happy mood. 
The " Queen " lay within two miles of the great 
Muir Glacier, although it looked much nearer. 



ALASKA. 197 

There it was, an immense mountain of ice, mov- 
ing forward at the rate of about forty feet per 
day. It looked as if the immense waves of an 
angry ocean had suddenly become frozen and 
were waiting for the warm rays of the sun to re- 
store them to life again. At intervals immense 
pieces would break off and fall into the water, 
accompanied with a rumbling noise like that of 
distant thunder. The glacier extends from shore 
to shore, a distance of four miles, and lifts its 
pinnacles four hundred feet above the muddy 
river. It was my fortune to see one of the tallest 
of these break off and plunge into the river. 
When it struck, the spray was thrown far above 
the highest point of the glacier. The roar that 
accompanied the fall was terrific. 

Those who wished to climb the glacier, after 
providing themselves with alpenstocks, were 
rowed ashore. It is not dangerous to climb, 
providing one exercises ordinary prudence and 
does not attempt venturesome explorations on his 
own account. A hard climb of about three 
miles, which seemed more like ten, over the 
moraine, brought us to the glacier proper. After 
climbing several of the ridges we started on our 
return trip in order to get lunch before coming 
out in the afternoon. Those three miles seemed 



I9S 



WONDERLAND. 




ALASKA. 199 

to lengthen at every step, and we were surely a 
tired and hungry party when we arrived on 
board the steamer. On our return we plucked a 
bouquet of beautiful purple flowers which were 
blooming not ten feet from the snow and ice that 
formed the mighty glacier. A good lunch was 
provided, and after a short rest we determined to 
walk to the foot of the glacier by way of the 
beach. The whole afternoon was spent on the 
sands, where the sun was piping hot, blistering 
our faces and ears equal to an August day at the 
seaside in far-away New Jersey. A photogra- 
pher conveniently happened along, and we in- 
duced him to photograph our party as we sat 
perched upon a stranded iceberg. 

All afternoon there was a constant roar, 
caused by falling pinnacles and the parting of 
the glacier. Most of the noise came from the 
interior, as very few pieces fell from the front 
during the entire day. Pieces breaking off 
underneath the glacier would be carried some 
distance by the swift current before coming to 
the surface, and if very large they would cause 
immense waves to roll upon the shore. Captain 
Carroll said that in all his experience of nine 
years he had not seen so few pieces fall. 

Returning to the steamer we found several 



WONDERLAND. 




canoes, each one containing two Indians who 
had for sale the usual stock of trinkets, consist- 
ing of baskets, small canoes, paddles, bone and 
ivory images and horn and wooden spoons. 
They belonged to the Chilkoot tribe of Indians 
and had come over one hundred miles to sell 
their trinkets. Even after they had disposed 
of considerable of their stock and were unable 
to make any more bargains they were loth to 
leave, but remained near the steamer until the 
wheels of the propeller began churning the 
water, when they gave a series of grunts and 
paddled off toward home to replenish their stock 
and be back for the next steamer in about a 
week. 

At seven o'clock the anchor was hoisted and 
the noble ' ' Queen ' ' steamed quite near the 
glacier, where the captain blew the whistle 
several times, the echo of which reverberated 
through the pinnacles and valleys of the glacier 
again and again. Just as we were leaving an 
immense fall of ice occurred, giving us a parting 
salute as if trying to make up for its inaction 
during the day. 

Alaska, being a comparatively new country, 
abounds in legends. Among the most wonder- 
ful is the one freely told that under the muddy 
14 



202 WONDERlvAND. 

waters of the Glacier river a submerged city is 
to be seen. Through its centre runs a river 
along which are wharves where ships lie at 
anchor. An ivy-mantled church and the grave- 
yard adjoining are all said to be seen under 
favorable conditions. These conditions were not 
apparent while the steamer ' ' Queen ' ' lay at 
anchor on June 13th, 1892, two miles from the 
glacier. A few of the passengers, we afterwards 
ascertained, looked wistfully over the sides of the 
steamer to secure a view of the silent city. 
Mr. Willoughby, after whom Wiloughby's 
island was named, claims to have seen the city 
faithfully reflected in the sky above the river, 
but he evidently saw a mirage, as the river is 
too muddy to reflect anything six inches below 
the surface. 

After we had steamed out of Glacier bay, with 
its floating icebergs, the utmost quiet seemed to 
prevail. Everybody had retired, tired out with 
the many absorbing sights of the day, reminding 
one of the weariness which comes over children 
on Christmas night, after the excitements of the 
day have worn them into a condition for seeking 
their beds. Our party had been in a constant 
state of excitement previous to seeing the glacier, 
but now that they had seen it and had climbed 



ALASKA. 203 

over it they were willing to take a much-needed 
rest and make up some of the lost sleep of the 
nights before. 

The return trip was without incident, save a 
little episode while crossing Millbank Sound, 
when a number of passengers, on account of the 
rolling of the vessel, paid their respects to old 
Neptune. Here we witnessed for the first time 
the phenomena of phosphorescent sea. The 
wake of the vessel had the appearance of coals 
of fire, and we watched it for more than an hour. 

One evening an entertainment was given by 
the young ladies and gentlemen of the party. 
The characters represented were mostly Alaskan, 
with the usual negro-minstrel attachment. Many 
of the articles bought by the tourists were 
brought out and put to some use. The affair 
was a success in everj' particular, and the audi- 
ence contributed very liberally to the baskets as 
they were passed around. The money collected 
was donated to furnishing the parsonage of the 
Presbyterian missionary at Juneau. 

One morning the steamer was noticed to 
slacken speed, and presently a small steamboat 
put out from the shore and made direct for us. 
In the bow were several Indians wrapped in 
their blankets. As the boat came alongside, a 



204 WONDERLAND. 

ladder was let down and a missionary (or " sky- 
pilot," as one of the officers called him) climbed 
over the side and took his place among the 
Indians, who showed their love for him in many 
ways. He was going to one of the missionary 
stations and was to remain at his work for six 
months, during which time he did not expect 
to see the face of a white man. The Indians 
had brought out some fish and presented them 
to the captain, and we partook of fresh fish for 
the next two meals. 

The only stop made on the return trip between 
Muir Glacier and Victoria was at the coaling- 
station near Nanaimo, where five hundred tons 
of coal were taken on board. While the pur- 
ser was making arrangements for receiving the 
coal, the captain gave the passengers a pleas- 
ant surprise. The little steam-launch was hoisted 
from the hold and placed in the water ; then fol- 
lowed the boats from the davits, until seven of 
them were lying alongside the steamer. All 
who wished were then privileged to take their 
places in them, and we steamed off for the village 
of Nanaimo in tow of the steam launch. Two 
hours were allowed us to visit the places of inter- 
est. Nearly all went first to the jewelry stores 
and bought souvenir spoons, after which they 
looked about the town. 



ALASKA.. 205 

Nanaimo is one of the old Hudson Bay Trad- 
ing Company's outposts, and the old bastion 
which once protected the white men from the 
Indians is still standing in one of the streets. 
The town owes much of its prosperity to the dis- 
covery of coal near it. The mines are an im- 
mense source of revenue to the proprietor, and 
the supply is apparently inexhaustible. They 
are owned by one Mr. Dunsrauir, whose castle in 
Victoria has been spoken of in the preceding 
pages. 

Our return to the ship was as pleasant as the 
first sail, and we arrived there in time for a boun- 
tiful supper which had been prepared for us. 
Train after train of cars loaded with coal were 
being emptied of their contents into the hold, 
and there was ample time for those who wished 
to go on shore and hunt wild flowers. 

The steamer remained at the wharf until the 
next morning, when it headed for Victoria. 
Here an hour was allowed to those who wished 
to revisit the city and make purchases. Quite a 
number of the passengers came near getting left. 
They were up town buying trinkets to take 
home, and the storekeepers informed them that 
they had plenty of time, as a street car passed 
the door every ten minutes for the wharf. They 



2o6 WONDERLAND. 

waited fully twenty minutes for one to pass, and 
had started to walk when it overtook them. It 
poked along and managed to get within an 
eighth of a mile of the wharf when the whistle 
sounded that the lines were cast off. It was a 
long run, but it had to be made, and the writer 
was just able to jump and catch the anchor- 
chains, when he climbed to the deck and in- 
formed the mate that there were several elderly 
ladies on the way from the street car. The en- 
gines were then stopped and the gang plank put 
out for them to come on board It was a narrow 
escape, and a situation which few would desire 
in a country so foreign and remote. 

At Seattle many of the passengers left the 
steamer — some to take the train and others to 
sojourn for a few weeks in that wonderful West- 
ern city. It was the breaking-up of our party 
after the long trip from Philadelphia across the 
continent, and from Mexico to Alaska, during 
which time friendships were formed that will 
live, it is to be hoped, for all time. Had it not 
been for the stop at Nanaimo we should have 
arrived at our starting place, Tacoma, one day 
ahead of schedule time. 

All were well pleased with the trip and with 
the courtesies extended by Captain Carroll, who 



ALASKA. 207 

did everything in his power to make the journey 
agreeable. No more careful captain sails the 
seas than he, and we commend his proud vessel, 
the " Queen," to all who make the journey to 
that wonderland of the Northwest— Alaska. 
May his shadow never grow less. 



QV-1^0^^^-.^^ 



208 WONDERLAND. 

Chapter VI. 

I^OI^TLAND AND SHOSHONB. 

TT WAS quite late in the evening when our 
^ steamer was made fast to the wharf at Tacoma 
and the passengers began to disembark. The 
scene presented was a lively one. Some were 
loaded with baskets filled with trinkets, others 
were carrying large bundles and bags, while 
many were followed by the ship's porters, who 
were also loaded with bundles of every descrip- 
tion. Each seemed bent on being the first to 
get off" the wharf. All had something to remind 
them of the trip to Alaska. Some were hurrying 
for the train, which stood waiting, and others 
hustled themselves into omnibuses or cabs and 
started for the hotel. We were among the latter. 
Rooms being secured we were soon at home, as 
this was our second visit to Tacoma. 

Our stay was necessarily short, as we had 
fully expected to be in Mount Carmel, Illinois, 
the day we landed, had we not taken the trip 
to Alaska. Having ordered our mail sent to 
Portland we left early the next morning for the 
latter place, arriving there in the evening. Here 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 209 

we found a number of our fellow-passengers of 
the "Queen," who had come on the night before 
and were preparing to go to San Francisco and 
other points in California. 

Portland is a beautiful city, situated on the 
Willamette river about twelve miles from its 
junction with the Columbia. It has nearly 
65,000 inhabitants and is steadily forging ahead. 
Its business houses and residences compare 
favorably with any city in the West Having a 
letter of introduction to Mr. Cicero Lewis, I 
called on him at his palatial home, which, with 
the grounds surrounding it, occupies an entire 
block. While speaking of the wonderful growth 
of the city he remarked that when he first came 
to Portland he had killed deer on the ground 
upon which his house stood, and that only a 
few years ago it was a field of stumps. The city 
now extends miles beyond, and electric cars 
pass his door. The principal hotel in the city 
is named "The Portland," and is under the 
management of Mr. Charles E. Leland. one of 
that family of brothers so famous for their hotels. 

From the hills of Portland can be distinctly 
seen the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Hood, Mt. 
St Helens and Mt. Ranier. At the wharves are 
to be seen ships of all nations discharging and 
receiving their cargoes. 



Multnomah Falls. 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 211 

Leaving Portland by the morning train, in 
order to obtain a view of the Columbia river, we 
entered upon what seemed to us the beginning of 
our homeward journey. The conductor, who 
was especially pleasant, exerted himself to show 
us points of interest which otherwise, in all like- 
lihood, would have been passed unnoticed. At 
Multnomah Falls the train stopped several min- 
utes to enable passengers to get out and view 
this beautiful fall. The cliff from which the falls 
leap is so high that the water becomes only a 
heavy cloud of mist before reaching the foot of 
the precipice. Several other interesting falls 
were passed, but, being much interested in the 
large fish-wheels, we had not opportunity to in- 
vestigate them. The first wheel seen was on a 
boat, and appeared to be about twenty feet in 
diameter. It was continually revolving, being 
kept in motion by the force of the water. The 
largest wheels are to be seen at the Cascades, 
where they are supported by piers. They are 
kept continually going during the season in 
which the salmon run. The wheels are covered, 
except at the openings, with wire netting, and 
resemble large scoops. In revolving, they catch 
the fish that come within their reach and tumble 
them into a trough in the centre of the wheel, 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHOME. 213 

from which they fall out into the boat or a box 
and are taken to the canneries. The season was 
not fairly commenced when we passed, and the 
catches were consequently small. 

As we were approaching the "Dalles," a tall 
shaft standing on an island was noticed. The 
island seemed bare of all vegetation, and would 
have passed unnoticed had it not been for the 
shaft. A passenger explained that it was a mon- 
ument marking the grave of Victor Trevet, an 
eccentric old pioneer, who died some years ago. 
He was a great friend of the Indians and wished 
to be buried among them. The name of the 
island is Memaloose Isle, the interpretation of 
which means the "Isle of the Dead," and has 
been for many years the burial-place of the Chi- 
nook Indians. 

Many are the legends associated with the 
points of interest along this beautiful river, and 
were it not for the space required in writing them 
we would gladly repeat some as they were told 
to us. 

After leaving the ' ' Dalles " a passenger pointed 
out an Indian village where the Indians have 
come, from time immemorial, and settled during 
the fishing season, speared their winter's supply 
of fish, and then returned to their hunting- 



214 WONDERLAND. 

grounds in the mountains. Soon afterward the 
railroad leaves the river and enters a country of 
lava, rock and sand. The eyes soon become 
weary of looking out of the car windows, and to 
rest them the curtains are drawn and we try the 
experiment of short naps for a change. 

It was Hearing noon of the second day out 
from Portland when we arrived at Shoshone, a 
small town of less than a thousand inhabitants, 
located in the lava-beds of southern Idaho. It 
owes its existence to the fact that here is the 
junction of a branch of the Union Pacific rail- 
road leading up to the mining camps of the 
Wood river, and that it is the nearest point to 
the Great Shoshone Falls of the Snake river. 
Most of the houses are built of dark lava-blocks, 
which gives the town an ancient but substantial 
appearance. Along the main street and around 
the homes of the wealthier members of the com- 
munity are cotton wood shade- trees. Irrigating 
ditches supply moisture for their roots, and they 
flourish. There are two hotels for the accommo- 
dation of tourists en route for the falls. Having 
made our arrangements for a stage to convey us 
to the falls, considerable delay was experi- 
enced on account of a drunken blacksmith 
who was engaged to shoe two of the horses. 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 215 

and it was three o'clock when we got into 
t'-.e old rattle-trap stage and started for a 
ride of twenty five miles across the lava-beds. 
Our driver, who was one of the proprie- 
tors of the stage line, had only been married a 
week, and his wife, a very handsome young lady, 
occupied the box, sitting between her husband 
and the writer. When everything was ready, 
and good-byes had been exchanged, the driver 
cracked his whip and off the four horses started 
at a gallop. We were soon out of sight of the 
village, and were in the lava-beds. On either 
side, as far as the eye could reach, was nothing 
but sage-brush and cactus-plants. Near the road 
great quantities of yellow and white flowers gave 
relief to the eye, and occasionally the brilliant 
red or the rich amber-colored flowers of the cac- 
tus were to be seen. There was a gentle breeze 
stirring, which made the ride very pleasant, and 
also carried away the dust. As we drove along, 
the young lady and bride entered into the gen- 
eral conversation, and proved herself a very 
interesting adjunct to our party during this novel 
ride. 

After we had driven about three hours we 
inquired where the falls were, and if they could 
be seen, as the landscape still presented nothing 



2l6 WONDERLAND. 

but sage-brush, lava, flowers and parched grass. 
We were told to wait a while and we would see 
them before we expected. As we proceeded we 
entered what appeared to be a natural gate, and 
commenced a descent of over one thousand feet 
to the bottom of Snake river canon, in which are 
the falls. In making one of the sharp turns in 
the road the first view of the falls was had. 
Here we had to get out and walk down, as the 
road is so steep that it is dangerous to ride. At 
the ferry, only two-hundred yards above the falls, 
the river is said to be over two hundred feet 
deep, and the rushing of the muddy water made 
the more timid ones of the party wish that the 
hotel could be reached without crossing it. Our 
driver assured them that there was no danger, as 
there were two heavy wire cables reaching from 
shore to shore, one under the water, to which 
was attached the windlass for propelling the 
boat, and a safety cable above the water, over 
which a trolley worked as the boat moved. We 
were soon over, and driving up to the cosy hotel 
found ourselves the only guests, and were ac- 
corded the freedom of the house. 

The hotel is built quite near the falls, and 
from the porch a fine view of the second Niagara 
is to be had. The wind, blowing in the 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 217 

direction of the hotel, carried spray in such 
quantities that it appeared as if a heavy rain 
were falling. The force of the falling water 
jarred the hotel continually, and it was some 
time before we could accustom ourselves to it. 
Above the falls are several islands. On one of 
them an eagle has built her nest, and there, 
amid the ceaseless roar of the falling water, has 
reared her young for years. She is safe from 
the depredations of man, as no human being 
has ever been able to reach the rock. 

The width of the falls proper is 950 feet, and 
of the Bridal Veil 125 feet. The first rush of 
the water is a fall of over eighty feet, but the 
final plunge is over a precipice 210 feet into a 
seething and boiling stream. In the morning 
when the sun rose over the surrounding cliffs 
and penetrated the clouds of mist that rose from 
the boiling caldron below the falls, beautiful 
rainbows were formed in quick succession as 
the clouds of spray were blown hither and yon 
by the winds. 

It is not known when the Shoshone Falls 
were discovered, as no mention of them is made 
by the emigrants who must have passed quite 
near them on their way to the Pacific during the 
stirring times of the gold excitement in 1849. 
15 



2l8 



WONDERLAND. 




PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 219 

But, like all other places, it has its legends. It is 
said that in the sands of Bell's Island, just at 
the brink of the falls, gold is to be found ; and 
where gold is, men will go. From our driver we 
learned that a miner named Tom Bell had a 
claim upon the island which now bears his name. 
It was his custom to remain on the island until 
his provisions got low, when he would come to 
the mainland to replenish his stock. One day 
when returning to the mainland one of his oars 
snapped while he was in the rapids, and the 
sequel was that poor Tom went over the falls and 
his body was never recovered. Several China- 
men, it is reported, have shared the fate of Bell, 
but as a Chinaman's life is not considered worth 
counting in this country, there is no clear record 
as to how many Celestials have taken the leap. 

The best view of the falls is obtained at Obser- 
vation Point, directly in front of the hotel. A 
narrow path leads out to it. Pushing one's way 
through the juniper bushes, one feels the damp 
spray falling upon him like rain. A wire cable 
stretched along the edge of the cliff forms a 
guard for tho.se who wish to get the view from 
this point. The rushing of the waters causes a 
strong current of air, and one must hold to the 
cable lest he be blown into the waters at the foot 



220 WONDERLAND. 

of the falls. The view from this point is grand. 
The waters above the falls, broken by the 
rapids, are churned to a milky whiteness, and 
dash against the rocky islands as if to hurl 
them from their foundations. Defeated in 
their work, they rush forward, apparently mad- 
dened by their unsuccessful attempt, and with a 
terrible roar plunge over the precipice into the 
boiling caldron 210 feet below. The waters be 
low the falls, still fretful but crowned with masses 
of white foam, press onward through the canon 
until, disappearing around one of the curves in 
the river, they are lost sight of and the black 
walls of the canon arrest one's view. 

Below the falls are the Natural Bridge and 
Diana's Bath-Room. The latter is a large grotto, 
in the centre of which is a natural basin into 
which drop the waters from the roof of the cave. 
There are several other caves, and in one the 
rushing of the waters suggests the passage of 
a large steamer, and one can hear the repeated 
strokes of the paddle wheels as they strike the 
water. To reach the bottom of the falls and 
return is no small job, as it is one continual 
climb excepting when at the water's edge. 

Three miles up the canon are the Twin Falls. 
An island in mid-stream divides the river into 



PORTLAND AND SHOSHONE. 221 

two channels, each about seventy feet in width, 
through which the waters rush. At the lower 
end of the island the river takes a plunge of 
one hundred and eighty feet into a circular basin, 
resembling a boiling and seething caldron, from 
which rise dense clouds of spray. 

While waiting for Mr. Walgamot to bring his 
ferry-boat so that we could re-cross the river, 
one of the party who had heard that sage bush 
tea was a sure preventive of baldheadedness 
employed considerable time in gathering an 
immense handful of it to apply to his already 
shining pate. I have met him several times 
since my return from the West, and his cranium 
has lost none of its polish, nor has the skating- 
rink on the top of his head diminished in size. 

Walking up the roadway leading to the mesa 
we had an opportunity to notice the column-like 
prisms which the lava, in cooling, had formed. 
It was quite a climb, and we were thankful that 
we had left our wraps in the stage upon leaving 
the ferry-boat. Before reaching the top of the 
canon we took a last look at Shoshone Falls 
and left them in their lonely grandeur. 

Taking our seats in the stage we returned at 
a lively rate to Shoshone. A gentle breeze 
was stirring, and upon the advice of Mr. Per- 



222 WONDERLAND. 

rine we put our wraps about us. Before 
reaching the town we were glad that we had 
followed his suggestion. 

It was noon when we arrived in Shoshone, 
and the time between that and the departure of 
the train was spent in looking over the town. 
While in one of the stores several Indians came 
in and wanted to trade some gloves made from 
buckskin. They were Shoshones and were well 
formed, as straight as arrows, and, wrapped in 
their blankets, made a novel and interesting 
appearance. When the train pulled into the 
station, we were on the platform ready to start 
for new scenes. 



WONDERI.AND. 223 

Chapter VII. 

^ONDBI^LAMD. 

T -KAviNG Shoshone our faces were once more 
turned to the east. The scenery along the 
way was nothing to boast of, especially after 
leaving the Columbia river, and we soon became 
tired looking out of the car windows and turned 
our attention to reading such papers as we could 
purchase from the newsboy on the train. Occa- 
sionally we would pass a neat farm or ranch 
which would seem a veritable oasis in the desert. 
The water used for irrigating these ranches is 
sometimes brought for miles in ditches or pipes, 
and wherever used the desert blossoms like the 
rose. 

Frequently we would see, in the distance, 
buttes or hills that arose abruptly from the 
desert. Some seemed about two hundred feet 
high, but many of them were evidently much 
higher. They were bare of vegetation, except- 
ing now and then a clump of grease-weed, and 
had a forbidding appearance. The country 
being bare of trees, we had an uninterrupted 
view for miles on either side. One afternoon, 



224 WONDBRI.AND. 

while on one of the plateaus, we noticed far 
down in the valley what appeared to be a town 
of some importance. Between us and the town 
was a railroad train, moving at what seemed to 
us about at right angles to the course we were 
taking. Watching it for some time we discov- 
ered that it would soon pass us, as it was a train 
bound in the opposite direction upon the same 
railroad. 

At the American Falls of the Snake river the 
train halted for a few moments upon the bridge, 
the piers of which were built in the midst of the 
rushing torrent. From here on to Pocatella 
was the same scenery — sand and lava. 

It was near five o'clock when we arrived at 
Pocatella, where we changed cars and took the 
Utah Northern branch of the Union Pacific rail- 
road. While waiting for our train we noticed 
quite a number of Indians, wrapped in their 
blankets, walking around the station. They were 
tall, well formed, and as straight as arrows. One 
in particular attracted much attention. His face 
was painted in several colors, giving him a gro- 
tesque appearance. In his hair were at least half 
a dozen eagle feathers, and around his body 
was wrapped a many-colored blanket. His leg- 
gins were ornamented with several rows of 



WONDERLAND. 225 

brightly-polished steel keys, which, as he moved, 
would strike together, making a tinkling sound. 
These Indians were strikingly different from 
those we saw in Alaska. When we pulled out 
of the station several of them got on the plat- 
forms of the cats and rode as far as they wished 
and then dropped off. The Indians never pay 
any car-fare, but usually ride on freight trains or 
on the platforms of the passenger cars. They 
are not allowed inside unless in extremely cold 
weather. 

Just outside of the limits of Pocatella is an 
Indian reservation, which accounted for the 
number of red men seen in and around the sta- 
tion. Some of the Indians live in log houses 
built for them by the government, but most of 
them prefer the wigwams, many of which were 
scattered along the road for some distance. 

At Idaho Falls we again crossed the Snake 
river. These falls are not so precipitous as the 
American Falls, and resemble only a series of 
rapids. Here quite a number of the passengers 
got off, as it was near sheep shearing time, and 
the owners of the large ranches had been down 
the road engaging men for clipping the sheep. 

It was after dark when the train pulled into 
the station at Beaver Canon, where we were to 



226 WONDERLAND. 

Stop over night and take the stages in the morn- 
ing for the Yellowstone National Park, or " Won- 
derland," as it is most appropriately christened 
by men who have traveled the world over. As 
it was late we were unable to procure a warm 
supper, as the proprietor of the only hotel in the 
place had not been advised of our coming, and 
we feasted upon bread and cheese sandwiches. 
In the morning a steaming hot breakfast awaited 
us. It was not brought on in courses, but every- 
thing was well cooked and neatly served. The 
proprietor was a Dane and did many favors for 
us, including the taking care of our trunks, 
which we were unable to take with us into the 
park. He had been quite a traveler, and during 
his life had prospected for gold. 

Before the stage drove up to the door we were 
advised to procure some mosquito-netting for 
veils, as the mosquitoes were likely to bother 
us in some localities. Just as we were about 
starting we were joined by a young man who 
had come down from Butte, and was going into 
the Park. He was a Yankee, and afforded us 
considerable amusement. He pretended to be 
quite a marksman, but his pretentions came to 
naught. We had scarcely passed over the brow 
of the first hill after leaving the canon when we 



WONDKRI.AND. 227 

were startled by the firing of a pistol in the 
front of the coach. It was our Yankee fellow- 
traveler shooting at a woodchuck, which escaped 
unharmed. 

The country through which we were passing 
was like an immense flower-garden. For miles 
on either side, as far as the eye could reach, 
flowers were in profusion. The prevailing colors 
were white, yellow, blue, and occasionally a 
pink or red flower was noticed. So interwoven 
were they that the whole country had the 
appearance of an immense carpet spread out 
over the hills and valley. 

Here our mosquito-netting came into use. 
The pestiferous things rose in clouds from every 
ford or marshy place we crossed. They made 
life almost a burden. We fought them with 
our hands and bathed our necks and wrists in 
menthol to keep them away, but to no purpose. 
They were after us and were going to stay with 
us. In the dining-room at the dinner-station 
on the Camas Meadows the window panes were 
black with them and we were compelled to eat 
with our veils on, but that did not prevent them 
from getting into our mouths. For two long 
hours we were at their mercy— hard, unrelenting, 
unmerciful mercy. They bit us until our necks. 



228 WONDERLAND. 

faces and hands had the appearance of being 
stung by a swarm of bees. Outside of the cabin 
they were even worse, and appeared in clouds 
whenever the grass was stirred. We had to 
keep moving, for the instant we stopped they 
would light upon our clothes so thick that we 
could not tell the color of the cloth. After one 
blow upon the shoulder of our Yankee friend, 
thirty-four dead mosquitoes were found sticking 
to his coat. We were all thankful when the 
driver told us to take our places in the stage 
for our departure. 

Numerous curlews, with their long curled bills, 
were to be seen upon all sides, and our Yankee 
friend was busily employed trying to bag one. 
At first we were somewhat afraid he might, but 
we soon ceased to be alarmed for their safety and 
became more worried for the life of the driver, 
who was the nearest to our amateur marksman. 
During the whole day he only bagged one little 
bird, and that was not hit, but killed by concus- 
sion. 

Houses were few and far between, as lands 
were taken principally by large companies and 
devoted to stock-raising. At one ranch, near the 
scene of a bloody battle between General How- 
ard and the Indians, were a number of elk which 



WONDERI,AND. 229 

had been captured during the past winter, after a 
severe snow-storm. They were in a corral, and 
appeared quite tame. There were about twenty 
of them, and the driver drew up rein that we 
might have a better view of the handsome crea- 
tures. 

Aran gee Ranch, or Snake river crossing, was 
our stopping-place for the night. It is a collec- 
tion of log cabins, none of which are over one 
story in height. It is the headquarters of several 
ranches owned by a company of New York capi- 
talists engaged in stock-raising. Most of the 
cabins are occupied by the hands employed by 
this colony. Only one building is set apart for 
the accommodation of tourists. The situation of 
the cabins is beautiful. In the background are 
the heavy forests of pine, while in front is the 
swift running Snake river, beyond which lie the 
prairie, the foothills and the snow-capped moun- 
tains. 

The sun was just dipping behind the moun- 
tains when we forded the river and drove up to 
the cabins. It was a most beautiful sight to look 
upon the snow-capped peaks, above which were 
the variously tinted clouds through which shot 
the brilliant rays of the setting sun. It was a 
picture to be seen only in these Western skies. 



230 



WONDERLAND. 




WONDERLAND. 23 1 

and one that could never be transferred to canvas. 

The mosquitoes were plentiful, but were not so 
numerous as they had been during the day. On 
being assigned our rooms we took the precau- 
tion to kill every one that could be found, there- 
by no doubt saving ourselves much aj05iction 
during the night. 

Leaving Arangee Ranch early in the morning, 
we commenced a day of many surprises. At 
several places quite a number of deer, elk and 
antelope were seen. 

About the middle of the forenoon we forded 
the Snake river for the last time until we should 
return from "Wonderland." The water of this 
river is said to be the coldest in the world, as it 
comes from the melting snows v/hich crown the 
peaks forming the southern boundary of the 
Yellowstone National Park. In order to avoid 
several dangerous holes we made quite a detour, 
first going up stream and then down, finally 
emerging from the river almost opposite the place 
of entrance. 

Most of the time we rode in sight of the 
Tetons, at whose base the wandering Snake river 
has its source. As we were crossing the "con- 
tinental divide ' ' in the Tyghee Pass and enter- 
ing Montana, the axle of the stage became hot 



232 



WONDERLAND. 




WONDERLAND. 233 

and we spent almost an hour trying to cool it off 
with snow, which we procured from a ten- foot 
drift along the roadside. It was nearly noon 
when the accident occurred, and as some of the 
party had brought luncheon with them we en- 
joyed a picnic in a grove over ten thousand feet 
above sea-level. 

It was about three o'clock when the stage 
pulled up at a very pretentious two story log 
house, and the driver informed us that this was 
where we would stop over night. No one com- 
ing to the door, we walked in and took posses- 
sion. The reception room was large and airy ; in 
fact, it took up one half of the house and reached 
from the first floor to the roof. In one end of 
it were quite a number of bear skins, and hang- 
ing on the walls were skins of the otter, mink 
and various other animals. The bed-rooms were 
six in number and opened out -upon the recep- 
tion-room. Three were on the first floor and 
three above them, arranged like cells in a prison. 
Those on the second tier were reached by a flight 
of steps and along a balcony. The rooms were 
all newly furnished and neatly kept. 

The proprietor, Mr, Dwelle, was a bachelor, 
and was the only person around the place. When 
he saw us coming he started off to catch a mess 
16 



234 WONDERLAND. 

of trout for supper. Our Yankee friend and ray- 
self, after procuring some fishing-lines, followed 
him. In crossing a brook the writer made a mis- 
step and fell into the water, which necessitated 
his returning to the house to dry his clothes. 
While sitting in front of the stove he was startled 
by a crash, and looking out of the window saw 
the back porch in ruins. The ladies, who had 
retired to their sleeping apartments for a rest, 
appeared almost immediately in the wildest state 
of excitement, anxiously inquiring if a cyclone 
had struck the house. Their fears being quieted 
they returned to finish their naps. Upon going 
into the yard we ascertained that a number 
of horses in prancing around had run against a 
rope stretched from one of the out-buildings to 
one of the supports of the porch, and, pulling 
the latter from its place, the whole structure came 
down with a crash. It was not long before our 
Yankee friend was seen returning. He had met 
with a similar mishap as the writer, only that he 
had fallen in much deeper water, and did not have 
a dry thread on him. He went to a hunter's camp, 
and having built a large fire, dried his clothing. 
By damming one of the little brooks Mr. Dwelle 
was able to have a small ditch run through his yard, 
which supplied fresh, clear water for the stock. 



WONDERLAND. 235 

Near by was the Madison river, which yielded 
him a bountiful supply of fish, while beyond was 
the forest, abounding in game of all kinds. The 
time until supper was spent in strolling around 
the ranch. In climbing one of the knolls near 
the house we discovered a grave, and upon a 
board which answered the purpose of a headstone 
was a simple inscription giving the man's name 
and the date of his death. When we returned to 
the cabin Mr. Dwelle was there with a large 
string of fish, which he proceeded at once to pre- 
pare for the table. While waiting for them to 
cook he told us the story of the lone grave on the 
hill. It was the last resting-place of a young 
Methodist minister, who had lost his health in 
his labors, and had come out to this country in 
the hope that the pure air would restore him to 
health. Like many others, he had put it off too 
long. He lived only three weeks, and during 
his sickness was taken care of by Mr. Dwelle, 
who, when he died, buried him on the most 
prominent knoll of the ranch. The mound is 
looked after by Mr. Dwelle, who has planted sev- 
eral bunches of beautiful mountain flowers upon 
it. Nearly everybody who stops at this place 
goes up to it and reads the inscription and de- 
sires Mr. Dwelle to give them the history of the 
green mound. 



236 WONDERLAND. 

Supper being announced, we all responded to 
the call, and partook of one of the best meals we 
had eaten since leaving Portland. After doing 
full justice to it we returned to the reception- 
room, when several trappers came in and a very- 
pleasant evening was spent listening to their 
stories 

Taking an early start the next morning, we 
crossed the Madison river, which flows through 
the valley, and entered the forest. Most of the 
forenoon was spent in driving through miles and 
miles of dead timber, none of which appeared 
over ten inches in diameter. It had been de- 
stroyed by a forest fire which swept over this sec- 
tion some eight or ten years previously. In some 
places a new growth of pine and spruce was 
springing up, and, if another fire does not lay it 
waste, in a few years there will be quite a heavy 
growth of timber. 

It was about noon when we crossed the 
boundary of the Yellowstone National Park 
and noticed for the first time soldiers of the 
Federal army doing police duty in preserving 
timber and keeping out trappers who sometimes 
get across the boundary in search of game. The 
road from this point to the top of the mountain 
is very heavy, as there is a great deal of sand 



WONDERLAND. 237 

and no clay with which to build a solid road-bed. 
The mountains are undoubtedly of volcanic ori- 
gin, as some of them are formed by a composi- 
tion which has the appearance of slag. 

Early in the afternoon we crossed the moun- 
tain and our eyes for the first time beheld '' Won- 
derland." Vast columns of steam were ascend- 
ing from the many geysers and boiling springs 
which abound in the valley. This section of the 
park was rarely if at all visited by Indians, who 
regarded it as the abode of the evil spirit. 

Fording Firehole river we did not stop at the 
lyOwer Basin, but pushed forward to the Upper 
Basin, where we were to spend the night. On 
the way we passed the wonderful ' ' Excelsior ' ' 
geyser, whose crater is over three hundred feet in 
length and two hundred in breadth. Immense 
volumes of steam were issuing from it, and 
"Spikes," our driver, informed us that it had 
not been in eruption since 1888, and another dis- 
turbance was not due until 1894. It is said that 
while in action the quantity of water thrown out 
is so great that the Firehole river is raised sev- 
eral inches, and the water is so hot that no 
animal life can exist in it. This section is known 
as "Hell's Half Acre," from the great number 
of boiling springs in the vicinity. 



238 WONDERI.AND, 

Prismatic lake is perhaps a couple of hundred 
yards west from the "Excelsior," and receives 
its name from the many colors visible on its sur- 
face. The water in the centre of the lake is deep 
blue, gradually shading off to green. When the 
shallower portion of the lake is reached it 
assumes a yellow color, which deepens to a dis- 
tinct orange. The formation around the rim of 
the basin is a brilliant red. The constantly ris- 
ing volumes of steam are tinged with the colors 
that are so prominent in the pool, and form one 
of the most pleasing eifects of the Park. 

Going to the Upper Basin we were fortunate 
in reaching the "Grotto" geyser while it 
was in action. The cone of this geyser is the 
most peculiar of any in the Park. It has various 
cave like openings in the cone, and hence its 
name. While watching the jets of water and 
columns of steam issuing from the crater two 
ladies came up whom we recognized as having 
seen on the steamer we had met on our way 
to Alaska. In going up to the hotel we passed 
several of our original party which left Philadel- 
phia on April 20th, and had been with us 
through all of our travels until we left them at 
Seattle, on our return from Alaska. We met 
them several times during our tour of the Park, 
and compared notes and experiences. 



WONDERLAND. 239 

After eating our suppers we started out on a 
tour of inspection. Old Faithful was the first to 
secure our attention This wonderful geyser 
gives an exhibition of its strength every sixty-five 
minutes with astonishing regularity. Through 
winter and summer, day and night, year in and 
year out, it is unerringly ' ' on time. ' ' So regular 
are its eruptions that the name of "Old Faithful " 
is certainly no misnomer. Its eruptions begin 
with a few spasmodic spurts, which throw the 
water fully fifteen feet into the air. These are 
followed a few minutes later by a column of 
boiling water and steam several feet in diameter, 
which is thrown to a height of one hundred and 
fifty to two hundred and fifty feet. For several 
minutes this column remains, when it gradually 
recedes and lies dormant for sixty-five minutes. 
Then the phenomena is repeated. 

It was late when we returned to the hotel, 
having spent several hours in walking over the 
formation and visiting the most important gey- 
sers. The Chinaman geyser received its name 
from the following circumstance : A Chinaman 
opened a laundry and pitched his tent over one 
of the boiling springs in order to have hot water 
convenient. After his first wash was finished 
he emptied the tub of soapsuds back into the 



240 WONDERLAND. 

geyser, and the action of the alkali in the suds 
started a violent commotion of the water in the 
spring, followed by an explosion which threw 
a column of water high into the air, carrying 
away the tent and so frightening the Chinaman 
that he disappeared, never to be seen again in 
that vicinity. Since then, at irregular intervals, 
the geyser becomes active and throws a column 
of water about forty feet into the air. 

It is said that this occurrence led to the discov- 
ery that soap thrown into any of the geysers will 
produce an eruption almost immediately. The 
soldiers keep constant watch upon the tourists to 
prevent anything of the kind, but a few will 
manage to "soap the geysers," notwithstanding. 
" Spikes " said that some one had stolen the soap 
from his room or he would have given us an ex- 
ample of its action on the water of one of the 
most important geysers. 

Desiring to make the Grand Canon of the Yel- 
lowstone by evening, we left the hotel early in 
the morning. Down past "Hell's Half Acre" 
and the many boiling springs of the Lower Basin 
we went, but did not stop, as we were to spend 
the night there on our return. Fording a branch 
of the Firehole river, we drove through a forest 
of pine and spruce. Occasionally a number of 



WONDERLAND. 24I 

deer or elk would cross the road and disappear 
in the gloomy recesses of the forest. The road 
gradually narrowed and we entered the Gibbon 
Canon. This rocky defile is about six miles in 
length, and in some places the cliffs are so close 
to the Gibbon river, which flows through the 
canon, that there is scarcely room for the road. 
The Gibbon Falls is a beautiful cascade, and the 
rippling water coursing over the gentle incline 
forms a beautiful picture. On past the falls to 
the northward are numerous small springs with a 
strong sulphuric odor, some on one side of the 
river and some on the other. The only spring of 
importance is the "Beryl." It is one of the 
largest in the Park, and is quite near the road- 
side. The water is constantly boiling, and great 
quantities of hissing steam escape from it. The 
overflow from the rim of the spring runs across 
the roadway, and, although boiling hot, our 
horses did not hesitate an instant, but walked 
right through it. 

It was about noon when we got the first sight 
of the Norris Basin of geysers. It is a barren 
tract, and resembles an immense area recently 
swept by a terrific fire. From many places jets 
of steam are constantly rising, and here and 
there are to be seen quite a number of geysers, 



242 WONDERI.AND. 

the most important of which are the Minute 
Man, the Monarch, the Emerald, the Black 
Growler and the Ink Well. The Minute Man 
has an eruption every minute, and the water is 
thrown about thirty feet into the air, although 
some jets are thrown much higher. The Black 
Growler is located quite near the road, on top of 
the hill overlooking the entire basin. It takes 
its name from the peculiar growling noise caused 
by the great quantities of escaping steam and a 
black deposit in the vicinity. It is what might 
be called a steam geyser, as very little water is 
discharged from its crater. The Ink Well is a 
peculiar spring, about ten feet in width, and the 
water, when at its lowest ebb, is about five feet 
from the rim. The water gradually rises until 
it gets almost rim-full, when it commences to 
boil furiously and continues for about two or 
three minutes. Then it will gradually recede 
and fall to its lowest level, where it will remain 
for a few moments, and then commence the exhi- 
bition anew. The air is heavily charged with 
sulphur, and at several of the craters of the 
steam-jets we got some very fine specimens of 
pure sulphur. This basin is supposed to be of 
more recent origin than any of the others in the 



WONDERLAND. 243 

Park, as there is an absence of cones around the 
craters of the geysers. 

The hotel having been burned, lunch was 
served in some tents which had been temporarily 
erected. The rest of the afternoon was spent in 
driving through forests of pine and fir. Along 
each side of the road were immense drifts of 
snow, and in some places they were fully ten feet 
deep. 

It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when 
the stage pulled up at the Grand Canon Hotel, 
where we were to stop while ' ' doing ' ' the won- 
ders of this part of the Park. We had seen 
some of the beauties of the canon as we drove 
along the road leading up to the hotel, and were 
anxious to see the rest before supper- time. After 
changing our dusty clothes for others clean and 
fresh, we started out for the cliffs overlooking 
the Yellowstone river. It is probably a quarter of 
a mile from the hotel to the trail that leads along 
the top of the canon. As we emerged from a 
clump of trees the view of the many- colored 
cliffs and the green river thousands of feet below 
burst suddenly upon us. The combination of 
colors exceeded anything we had ever seen. 
The walls of the canon had all the colors of the 
rainbow, but the predominating shade was yel- 



244 WONDERLAND. 

low. There was the brilliant red and the duller 
shades of the same color. There was the pure 
white and the dififerent shades of yellow so 
blended that it was difficult to tell where one 
commenced and the other ended. There was 
the brown and the black, and the green and the 
purple. In fact, the variety of colors was bewil- 
dering. It is about two thousand feet from In- 
spiration Point to the bed of the Yellowstone 
river. From this point one of the finest views of 
the Grand Cafion is obtained, as it embraces the 
I^ower Falls of the Yellowstone and the delight 
ful exhibition of colors above described Along 
the river's edge and up the sloping sides of the 
canon are numerous columns and pinnacles, all 
painted with that indescribable conglomeration 
of colors. Many of the loftiest ones have been 
pre-empted by the eagles for their nests and the 
rearing of their young, and the strange sight is 
witnessed by those who walk along the trail 
at the top of the canon. There are many 
of these noble birds here, and as they fly 
up and down the caiion they look, in the 
distance, like swallows skimming along through 
the air. Near the trail is a large block of granite 
known as the "Hague Boulder." It was evi- 
dently carried here during the glacial period, as 
none of this kind of stone is found in this neigh- 



WONDERLAND 245 

borhood. We were late in returning to the hotel, 
but felt fully repaid for the five-mile walk we 
had taken. In the evening a number of us, in 
company with two soldiers who were stationed at 
this point in the Park, went to see the Upper 
Falls. We had to climb down over the rocks 
until we got on a projecting cliff directly in front 
of the falls, where the best view of the cataract 
is obtained, and were just far enough away 
to escape the mist which is constantly rising 
in clouds. So delighted were we that we 
must have remained there nearly an hour 
before we even thought of leaving. It was 
too late to go down to the I,ower Falls when 
we reached the road, but as we had seen 
them in connection with the view from In- 
spiration Point, we thought that we had done 
up this portion of the Park quite thoroughly. 
On our return to the hotel we crossed the bridge 
over Cascade creek, a stream which joins the 
Yellowstone below the Upper Falls. This creek 
has its source in Mount Washburn, and at this 
point there are three beautiful little falls, known 
as the Crystal Cascades. 

Leaving the Grand Canon early in the morn- 
ing we spent the entire forenoon in driving to 
the Norris Basin, where we again took luncheon 



246 WONDERLAND. 

in the tents. Leaving this point our faces were 
turned due north, and we were traveling to the 
most beautiful formations in the Park. The 
road is about the same as any other road through 
a forest. On either .side are boiling springs, all 
of which have their names. Most of them are 
very clear, and the formations around the rims 
and on the sides are very beautiful. There are 
also numerous openings where nothing but steam 
issues forth. In these localities the odor of sulphur 
is also very strong. Roaring mountain is covered 
with these steam vents, and at times the quan- 
tity of escaping steam is so great that the roaring 
can be heard for several miles. It is from this 
peculiarity that the mountain takes its name 
Beaver lake is a body of clear water and receives 
its name from a colony of industrious little 
beavers that have built .several dams across it 
and have their houses there. About ten miles 
from Norris Basin the road winds around the 
foot of the Obsidian Cliffs. This mountain 
stands by itself and is composed of volcanic 
glass. When the Indians were unskilled in the 
use of firearms this was known as neutral 
ground, and many of the tribes came here for 
their supply of arrow-heads. The United States 
engineers, in building this road, soon learned 



WONDERLAND. 247 

that blasting was impossible. They therefore 
built fires on the boulders and then dashed water 
on them. The sudden cooling of the mass 
caused them to break into many pieces, and 
in this manner the engineers constructed the 
only glass road in the world. Beyond the 
Obsidian Cliffs the road enters a declivity known 
as Swan Lake Basin. It is hemmed in on all 
sides by high mountains. In the winter great 
numbers of deer and elk make this their feeding- 
ground. Most of the high peaks have been 
given names. The highest one is Electric Peak. 
It was so named because the vast deposit of 
minerals in it renders the working of the sur- 
veyor's transit impossible when on the mountain. 
About the middle of the afternoon we 
' ' rounded Cape Horn ' ' and followed a road 
cut out of solid rock. As we neared the eastern 
end of it we passed through the " Golden Gate," 
so named from a pillar twelve or fifteen feet high 
which was left when the road was constructed 
and which forms a kind of gate-post. It is cov- 
ered with a yellow moss, suggesting the name it 
bears. It was after four o'clock when we drove 
up to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, where 
we were to stay for the night. In a short time 
guides were engaged and we started for the ter- 



248 WONDERLAND. 

races formed by the deposits of carbonate of lime 
' from the boiling springs issuing from the side of 
the mountain. 

There are at least eight or ten well-defined 
terraces, which resemble immense bowls, ar- 
ranged in groups, one above the other, at differ- 
ent places on the side of the mountain. Over 
the rims and sides of these basins trickles the 
hot water discharged from the springs, and it 
keeps ever fresh and sparkling the beautiful 
colors of the different basins. They are of all 
colors and are covered with particles which re- 
semble diamonds. Every terrace has its name 
and all seem appropriate. 

As one approaches them from the hotel the 
whole side of the mountain appears covered with 
beautiful basins of every color, from pure white 
to deep red and brown. Minerva Terrace was 
the first one visited. The basins and the forma- 
tions in them vary in color from delicate cream 
to deep shades of red. It covers an area of over 
half an acre. In this spring many of the souve- 
nirs of the Park are coated. Any hard substance 
placed where the water can ran over it will in a 
few days become encrusted with crystal-like parti- 
cles. Several men earn a livelihood in this way, 
as they have a monopoly of the business. Jupiter 



WONDERLAND. 249 

Terrace, so named from being the largest on the 
mountain covers an area of about five acres. 
The spring which overflows this terrace is about 
one hundred feet in diameter The coloring of 
the formations resemble those of the Minerva 
Terrace. Cleopatra's Terrace is the most beau- 
tiful of all. Its basins are pure white, and the 
boiling water, as it ripples down over the sides, 
seems studded with brilliant gems. 

In most of the springs there appears along 
the edges a white, string-like substance known 
as "algea." It is a vegetable formation, and 
when the waters are quiet it spreads over the 
basins. According to some scientists it forms 
an important factor in producing the marvelous 
colorings that here abound. 

Back from the terraces, and farther up the 
mountains, are several openings or small caves 
They have the euphonious names of "The 
Devil's Parlor," "The Devil's Kitchen," &c. 
They are extinct vents, and are entered with 
safety by many of the tourists. The Devil's 
Kitchen is entered by means of a ladder about 
thirty feet in length. As you descend, the air 
gets warmer, and the odor of sulphur is easily 
distinguished. On one side is a natural card- 
rack, and many persons have left their names 
17 



250 



WONDERLAND. 






m 







•^ 




WONDERLAND. 25 1 

and addresses there. It is not many minutes 
before the perspiration starts and you have a 
desire to get out of the hole, and, as there is 
nothing to prevent, you climb the ladder and 
soon breathe the cool air. On reaching the top 
the guide informed us that some years ago a 
hunter, whose cabin still stands in the gulch 
near the, hotel, while walking over these terraces 
saw a pair of antlers protruding above the snow, 
and upon examining them found that an elk, 
in roaming over the mountain, had broken 
through the crust of snow that had formed over 
the entrance to the kitchen and had hung there 
until dead. 

The "White Elephant" is a peculiar forma- 
tion resembling an elephant lying down. It is 
about ten feet high and probably seventy- five 
feet long. Of course all of the party had to 
mount it and walk the entire length. The head 
is a little lower than the body, and then comes 
the depression that forms the neck, and then the 
body. Extending from the head to the haunches 
along the centre of the formation is a row of 
sputtering hot springs. Sometimes they are all 
in action at once and at other times separately. 
This row of springs forms what is called the 
backbone of the elephant. 



252 WONDERI^AND. 

Following the trail that leads over the moun- 
tain past many springs which gush from its 
sides, we noticed that some appeared to be 
drying up, and that farther up the mountain 
are new springs. The guide informed us that 
this is continually happening — that the springs 
in this part of the mountain are finding outlets 
farther up the sides, and the lower openings are 
closing. 

Passing over the Narrow Gauge Terrace, a 
formation much like the White Elephant, we 
again viewed the whole number of terraces, and 
as the setting sun beamed upon them they 
appeared brighter and if possible more beautiful 
than when we first beheld their dazzling colors. 
At the base of the terraces stands an extinct 
cone known as the Liberty Cap, about fifty feet 
in height and twenty feet in diameter at the base. 
It is some distance from the mountain, and from 
the appearance of the overlapping layers of car- 
bonate of lime one would think it had no proper 
connection with the mountain. The Devil's 
Thumb is another of these cone-like formations, 
but it is imbedded in the side of the mountain. 

As we approached the hotel the souvenir 
dealers attracted our attention, and we purchased 
a number of small articles to take away with 



WONDERLAND. 253 

US. The collection of specimens in the Park is 
beset with difficulties, as the soldiers are ever 
watchful, and you are politely informed that 
you must not take anything except what you 
buy at the stands. 

In the morning we commenced to retrace our 
steps to Norris Basin, where we again took lunch 
in the tents, then proceeded through the Gibbon 
Canon to the I,ower Basin, where we spent our 
last night in the Park. 

We were fortunate in arriving at the hotel 
when we did, as the manager informed us that 
the Fountain geyser would probably be active 
by the time we had finished our suppers. Nearly 
every one in the hotel was over at the pool 
very shortly after they had swallowed their 
last mouthful. It was some time before the 
violent action commenced, and while waiting we 
visited the mammoth Paint Pots near by. These 
"paint-pots" are large vats of boiling mud 
which are continually sputtering and throwing 
particles of mud in every direction. Some of 
the mud had a pinkish color and the rest shades 
oflf to pure white. Going back to the Fountain 
we made the acquaintance of one of the soldiers, 
who took us over the formation and showed us 
several beautiful springs which, had we been 



254 WONDERLAND. 

alone, we should have missed. One of these 
was particularly interesting. The water was 
of an emerald hue, while the sides of the basin 
were of the purest white. In looking down into 
the water we could see every formation that 
would go to make up a fairy-bower. There was 
a general ripple on the surface which seemed to 
impart life to all the recesses and the different 
formations on the sides. The sun was fast 
setting behind the mountains that bound the 
western confines of the Park, and the sky was 
assuming an indescribable variety of tints pecu- 
liar to the western country. The clouds were 
all aglow with silver and crimson, and as they 
moved along every color was faithfully reflected 
upon the surface of the pool. 

While watching for some indication of the 
approaching eruption of the Fountain geyser, a 
few bubbles were noticed coming up from the 
depths of the pool, and then there w^s a lively 
scampering to get out of the way of any stray 
sprays of hot water that might reach the specta- 
tors. In a few moments the water shot up for 
a distance of about twenty feet, which was 
followed by one of those magnificent displays 
of the workings of Nature which is only to be 
witnessed in the Yellowstone Park. We stood 



WONDKRLAND. 255 

for fully ten minutes watching the water as it 
was thrown to a height of from twenty to twenty- 
five feet, although sometimes jets would be 
forced to twice or three times that height. 

In the morning we bade farewell to our friends 
with whom we had traveled across the continent 
and from Mexico to Alaska, and started for 
Beaver Canon, where we were to take the Union 
Pacific railroad and proceed upon our homeward 
journey. Our friends who had entered "Won- 
derland" by the Northern Pacific route were 
to return to the Mammoth Hot Springs and from 
there to Cinnabar, where they would again enter 
the cars. 

We would advise all who contemplate a visit 
to the Yellowstone National Park to enter one 
way and depart the other. It has become quite 
popular during the past few years to take the 
Union Pacific railroad to Beaver Caiion, and, 
taking the stages from that point, enter "Won- 
derland ' ' at the southwestern corner, and after 
arriving at the Mammoth Hot Springs on the 
northern boundary to leave by going to Cinna- 
bar, which is only nine miles from the Springs. 
This method prevents "doubling" on the way, 
and thus opens up a broader scope of territory. 



256 WONDERLAND. 

Chapter VIII. 

F^OMEWAi^D Bound. 

/^NirY two days were occupied in the return 
^^^ trip from the Lower Basin to Beaver Canon. 
As we ascended the mountains that form the 
western boundary of "Wonderland," we looked 
back ever and anon until the road entered a 
depression and shut oflF our view of the rising 
steam from the many geysers and boiling springs 
of the valley. 

When about half way down the mountain into 
the Madison valley we met several stages on 
their way to the park. Here we said good-bye 
to our driver, "Spikes," as he was to return with 
those going into the Park, and we were to have 
one of the younger drivers to conduct us back to 
the railroad. All morning we followed the 
meanderings of the Madison river, and at noon 
crossed it and drove up to Dwelle's cabin, where 
we were to take our dinner. He seemed pleased 
to greet us again, and cooked for the party an 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 257 

especial dinner, which consisted of fresh biscuits, 
antelope meat and mountain trout. 

The whole afternoon was occupied in driving 
to Arangee Ranch. On the way over the Madi- 
son divide, through the Tvghee Pass, we saw 
the remnants of our picnic held there a week 
previous. The sun was just sinking below the 
mountains when we drove up to the cabins of 
Arangee Ranch, and we were again favored with 
one of those beautiful sunsets before spoken of. 

The evening was passed in walking along the 
grassy banks of the familiar Snake river, until 
darkness drove us into the cabins. It was quite 
late when I retired, and consequently did not 
take much notice of the furniture of my room. 
On awaking in the morning the first thing to 
attract my attention was a coflSn on one of the 
shelves on the side of the room. After breakfast 
we paid an exorbitant price for our accommoda- 
tions and left. In crossing the Camas Meadows 
the mosquitoes were not so vicious as on our 
former visit, and we appreciated the fact very 
much. Our Yankee friend, it should be re- 
marked, was continually popping away at birds 
and woodchucks, and always missing them. As 
we were ascending the last hill before entering 
Beaver Caiion I espied a Winchester rifle lying 



258 WONDERLAND. 

in the road, and, jumping down from the driver's 
boot, secured it. It now hangs on a nail in my 
bedroom, a trophy of my visit to the ' ' Wonder- 
land " of America. 

It was after ten o'clock when we left Beaver 
Canon for Salt Lake City, where we arrived 
about noon the next day. We put up at the 
Templeton Hotel, which is conducted by one of 
the sons of Brigham Young. It is located oppo- 
site the sacred square and the lyion House, once 
the abode of Brigham Young and his numerous 
wives. The Lion House is now the ofiEicial 
residence of the president of the Mormon Church. 
Two days were spent in the sacred city of the 
Mormons, and while there we visited many of 
the points of interest in and around the city, 
including a trip to Garfield Beach, on the shores 
of Great Salt Lake. 

Far up the sides of the mountain adjacent to 
the lake are to be seen the ancient shore lines. 
They are distinctly marked, and go to show that 
the whole valley now drained by the lake and 
its tributaries was once covered with water many 
hundred feet deep. 

From here our objective point was Mount 
Carmel, in Illinois. Incidental stops were made 
at Pueblo, La Junta, Kansas City and St. Louis. 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 259 

After a rest of a few days in the fertile valley 
of the Wabash we started for home, and in two 
days the familiar scenes of Pennsylvania and 
New Jersey greeted us, and we were HOME. 



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